Hibari's Student
by CottonCandyCastle
Summary: Hibari/oc It started as a request from Reborn for Hibari Kyouya to coach Kawasumi Yuu, a new member of Tsuna's family, in fighting. Yet, somewhere between tonfas and blood, feelings were unleashed. Will Yuu be the one to open a certain skylark's heart ?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 : Introductions

Disclaimer : I do not own KHR

The bespectacled teacher marched to the front of the class, silencing the students within with a menacing glare. With much histrionics, most probably to impress the petite student that stood beside him with his authority, he began his well-rehearsed speech. "Class, there will be a new student joining us from today. I hope that all of you will treat her nicely." Almost immediately, a snort of ridicule was emitted from somewhere at the back of the class, the most likely culprit to be a certain silver-haired male who currently had his feet on the desk. The teacher frowned, his hand unconsciously moving up to wipe the glistening sheen of sweat on his forehead. A confrontation with Gokudera Hayato would not be desirable if he wished to maintain his facade of authority. Licking his parched lips, the teacher chose to ignore the rude interruption from his rowdiest student. Turning to the tiny girl next to him, he focused his attention on her instead, politely asking her to introduce herself to the class. The aforementioned girl nodded, the blond curls that framed her cherubic face bouncing.

"Hello, my name is Kawasumi Yuu. Please take good care of me."

Her high, practically child-like voice rang out as her sapphire orbs cast an anxious glance around the classroom when light murmurs began to surface. The helpless teacher mentally cursed his luck, trying his utmost to put a halt to the hushed whispers to no avail. Finally, he gave up, pointing Yuu to an empty seat in the third row before burying his head in his hands, mortified at the lack of authority he has over his class. Yuu hurried towards her seat, pausing only to return a smile to the pretty orange-haired girl that was seated next to her. Raising her head to face the teacher, who had gotten over his embarrassment and was beginning to drone on about his lesson, Yuu 's fingers inched towards the lucky charm that hung off her bag, relishing in the soothing familiarity of it as she uttered a silent prayer.

_Please, please allow me to make some friends. _

* * *

Yuu winced as the lunch bell rang, its deafening volume causing her head to spin. All at once, the lethargic students seemed to wake up instantly, as the screech of chairs against the tiled floors and enthusiastic chatters filled the class. Yuu gazed around her, uncertain of what she should do. Already some students were leaving the class while others stayed back in class, eating from their homemade bentos.

"Kawasumi-chan, would you like to have lunch with us ?"

Yuu looked up, a sense of relief flooding her as she peered into the friendly face of Sasagawa Kyoko and her friend, Kurokawa Hana. She nodded eagerly, dimples appearing on her round cheeks as a smile tugged at her pink lips. After insisting that Kyoko-chan and Hana-chan addressed her by her first name, the three girls sat down and began feasting on their bento. Sneaking glances at her newfound friends, Yuu could not help but feel surprised at the close friendship the two girls shared despite their obvious differences in personalities. While Kyoko-chan was carefree and friendly to everyone, Hana-chan was more withdrawn and mature, though she never hesitated to state her dislike for anyone with cold glances and rather exaggerated shudders. Yuu felt more relieved than ever to have Hana as a friend as she watched Hana begin an extremely long tirade against the silver-haired male she now known as Gokudera Hayato. As the ear-shattering lunch bell rang once more, Yuu packed up the remains of her lunch as her friends returned to their seats. As a new teacher entered the class, Yuu mused about her new school.

_Maybe Namimori would not be so bad after all. _

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first time I've written a fanfic so please review and comment on it so that I can improve. I really do welcome constructive criticism so just hit me with it. Haha. I promise that there will be Hibari in the next chapter and I'm really sorry I couldn't squeeze him in to this one. I'm also extremely apologetic should there be any grammatical or spelling error in this fic and if you're nice enough, you could review it and tell me about it. Thank you**

**P.s. I love you for actually reading this fic because I know the title and summary actually sucks. So if there are any suggestions for the titles you could suggest it too. Thanks**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I do not own KHR

"R-reborn!"

An agitated cry rang throughout the Sawada Residence, as a certain brunette waved his arms around with increasing distress, his mind struggling to come to terms with what Reborn had mentioned earlier. The culprit of this miniature crisis ,however, simply watched his pupil with no sympathy, before deftly jumping up to kick his wailing student on his head. Balancing on his student's fluffy brown hair, the tiny hitman could not resist the opportunity to make a jab at him.

"Dame Tsuna, she'll probably be a better asset to the family than you."

Tsuna shot Reborn an exasperated look.

"Reborn, how am i supposed to ask her into my family? She'll treat it as a joke before turning it flat down or ... or she might laugh...Reborn! "

The poor boy was nearly in tears as he buried his head in his arms, his mind churning out images that did nothing to help his esteem. The baby merely smirked, an expression that strangely suitted that childish face.

"Tsuna, that's your problem!"

* * *

Yuu peered at the house she stood in front of as she bit her lower lip in nervousness. Reaching into the pocket of the cotton white dress, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

_Come to the Sawada Residence at 3.00 pm tomorrow_

_Tsuna _

Tsuna...Tsunayoshi-kun... Yuu vaguely remembered seeing the timid boy in her class before. Though they were hardly acquainted, Yuu felt that he was a nice person and with that thought in mind, had set off for his house at the given time. It had taken quite some effort for her to locate his house and despite the fact that she had left her house half an hour earlier from the appointed time, she was late. Yuu had just raised her finger to press the doorbell again when the door opened to reveal a friendly-looking lady in an apron. Upon sight of Yuu, the affectionate lady introduced herself as Tsuna's mother before ushering her to Tsuna's room with enthusiasm, gushing happily about the wonderful friends Tsuna had. Yuu smiled and barely had time to thank Tsuna's mother before she bustled away chasing after two boisterous kids.

Taking a gulp of air, Yuu twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open with a 'creak'. Immediately, the chatter in the room fell silent as all eyes flew towards the newcomer. Yuu glanced around the room with apprehension, her sapphire orbs roaming the faces in a bid to identify all the people in the room. The two she recognised as Yamamoto and Gokudera appeared to be in an argument, though it appeared to be rather one-sided. Tsuna was caught between the two, in an obvious attempt to play peacemaker. Yuu's eyes left the trio to focus on the other four sitting on the floor. A spark of bewilderment and confusion hit her as she spotted Kyoko. Instinctively moving towards her, Yuu stared at the three she did not recognise. Her efforts to decipher the identity of the three were interrupted by Tsuna's nervous coughing. Clearing his throat, he blushed before rushing the words out of his mouth before he lost the courage to say them.

"Ano... Kawasumi-chan...I...I was wondering if...if you would like to join my family in the Vongola."

Yuu stared at the sweating brunette in confusion. Family? Vongola? Her train of thoughts were abruptly cut short when Yamamoto burst out laughing.

"Yo, Tsuna. Kawasumi-chan is going to play the mafia game too? "

Making his way to her, Yamamoto slung an arm over her neck as he beamed.

"Oh well, the more the merrier."

Yuu glanced at the amazon beside her as her mind struggled to make sense of the three sentences she just heard. Mafia game ? Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Gokudera's scowl deepen as he muttered something about baseballs and idiots while a white-haired guy began congratulating her "to the extreme". Everything was happening way too quickly. Yuu shut her eyes, blocking out the chaotic surrounding as her brain whirled. Family. Mafia game. Was this some sort of role-playing game? How did the Vongola fit in then? Finally , she came to her conclusion. From her deduction, the Vongola was probably the name for this mafia game while family most likely meant the kind that she used to play with her friends in preschool with the whole "mummy" and "daddy" roles. It seemed the most plausible conclusion. Yet, something was amiss. There was a nagging suspicion at the back of her mind that there was more than meets the eye here. Opening her eyes, she glanced at her classmates. It was really great that they had accepted her enough to ask her to join their game. Plastering a grin on her face , she accepted Tsuna's invitation. Locking her suspicion up, she chose to think of the next thing in her mind.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, is everyone here from your family too ? "

Tsuna had barely opened his mouth when a baby jumped in front of the group.

"Ciaossu. I'm Reborn, Tsuna's home tutor. Everyone here is from Tsuna's family. You know Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko and Tsuna from your class. That's Ryohei and Haru. Ryohei is Kyoko's brother. There's also Chrome and Hibari, who are currently not here."

Yuu eyed the fedora-wearing baby warily. No doubt he was adorable, but there was some sort of malice that surrounded him. Gathering her courage, she spoke up.

"Reborn-chan, when can I meet Hibari san and Chrome chan?"

Reborn smirked as an inkling formed in his mind.

"Hibari is in your school's disciplinary room right now. You can find him there."

"HIIIIEEEEE!"

Yuu swivelled her head to face the source of this outburst - Tsuna. The boy was quivering as he began his incoherent protests. Yuu frowned. What could be so scary about this Hibari person that terrified Tsuna so badly? It was then Yamamoto decided to chip in his thoughts.

"Hey, its great that you're being friends with Hibari-san!"

Tsuna sweatdropped at Yamamoto's obliviousness while Yuu processed Yamamoto's statement. How bad could Hibari be? Turning to Reborn, she asked," Reborn-chan, where can I find the disciplinary room?"

* * *

**That's it for chapter two. I hoped you guys liked it. I've changed the title and summary because i had to do a little tweaking of the storyline. Once more, please review. Hibari will be the first thing you see in Chapter 3. Hugs and kisses :) **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 : The first encounter

Disclaimer : I do not own KHR

Lifting his head from the paperwork that lay on his neat, uncluttered desk, Hibari glared at the door as a knock shattered the peace in the prefecture room. The paperwork which he was forced to do had already soured his mood and he no longer had the patience to deal with his Vice-Head's seemingly never-ending questions. Silently stepping out of his chair, Hibari slung his jacket over his shoulders, the familiar metallic feel meeting his upturned palms in one fluid move. Kusakabe should have known better than to disturb him. The prefect bared his teeth slightly at the prospect of a fight. Kusakabe was going to be bitten to death.

* * *

Yuu glanced at the door, her slender brows knitted together in confusion. Hibari -was taking an awfully long time to respond. Could he have left the school? Yuu was just about to knock a second time when a chilling cold aura made itself known. The girl shuddered at the sensation, goosebumps appearing on her creamy skin. What is this? An image flashed in Yuu's mind, triggering a fiery pain that exploded in her skull. Swaying on her feet, Yuu gripped the door handle for support, wincing at the overwhelming agony caused by the stark differences between the two discomforts. In her distress, the click emitted from the door handle went unnoticed. Before she had time to react, the door swung open and Yuu found herself falling onto a sturdy chest.

* * *

Probably for the first time in his life, Hibari was caught unaware. His eyes widened ever so slightly as a small body, which was obviously not Kusakabe's, tumbled into the room, hitting him smack in the chest. For a moment Hibari remained frozen, shock causing his mind to come to a full halt. Then, instinct kicked in and he pushed the herbivore away from him in disgust. With a stumble, Yuu fell onto the floor. Shaking her head to clear the last residue of pain that lingered her mind, she stared at the figure in front of her through her blonde curls. Murderous. That had to be the only word to describe the man that was glaring at her. Armed too, judging from the unmistakable gleam of metal in his hands. Yuu mentally cursed her stupidity, wondering what had possessed her to trust that infant. She barely had time to regain her balance when he struck- a casual swing that was aimed to break her ribs. Panic surged within Yuu, erasing all coherent thought as her body took over to defend herself.

Hibari swung his tonfas, eager to relish the moment when metal made contact with flesh. His mouth curled up at the corners, a smile that was created for the sole purpose of terrifying. He was aching to fight after hours of dreadful paperwork. Hibari's eyes fixed on the herbivore's face, waiting for the pained expression that would appear. Yet, the satisfying "crack" of ribs breaking never came. Hibari frowned, dark brows creasing in surprise. A lucky escape, he reasoned, preparing to make another attack when he felt his right cheek throb. Once again, Hibari was caught unaware. Wiping the blood off his injured cheek, he glared at the girl. There was no expression of surprise on her face. In fact, there was no expression at all on that porcelain face of hers. Hibari growled, his shame of being hit by a herbivore quickly turning into anger. If she had not wounded his pride, he would have probably been pleased at the opportunity of an interesting fight. Now, he decided, he was going to bite her to death.

* * *

**This is the first chapter with Hibari in it. I hope he didn't seem too OOC. Please review and comment :) I know this chapter is a lot shorter than my previous ones because I was having some problem trying to portray Hibari's character. So far, i hope the main character isn't too much of a Mary Sue. While she might look cute and adorable the way typical anime girls are, I have no intention of making her weak and useless. Comment :) Thank You !**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : The Deal

Disclaimer : I do not own KHR

"Hmph." Hibari turned away from the crumpled heap on the floor in contempt. It was true that the herbivore had somehow managed to last longer than most, but she was still nothing more than a herbivore. Shifting his gaze to a small figure cloaked in the long shadows of the setting sun, his mood lightened considerably. It seemed there was still going to be a thrilling fight waiting for him.

"Baby. Fight me."

Reborn smirked, easily leaping out of the way of Hibari's tonfas. Lifting his tiny hand up to stop Hibari, he greeted Hibari with his signature "Ciaossu". The cloud guardian frowned, frustrated upon realising that there was to be no fight. Reborn shrugged off Hibari's glare and turned to gesture to the bloody pile that used to be Yuu.

"Kawasumi Yuu. Height : 150 cm. Weight : 40 kg. IQ : 160 . She never had any training in fighting, Hibari."

Reborn glanced , meaningfully at the mark on Hibari's cheek, earning a heated glare from the prefect. How could an untrained herbivore actually manage to draw blood from him ? Hibari's mood turned thunderous in an instant, causing the air around him to drop below freezing point. Then, the impact of the sentence caught him. If properly trained, that herbivore could actually be an interesting opponent. A cunning spark flitted across Hibari's dark eyes, so fleeting it was barely noticeable. It was obvious that the baby wanted him to train that herbivore and although his instincts blanched at the thought of having to be be so close to a herbivore, his logical side was already noting the positive aspects (mainly being that he no longer had to search for a victim to vent his anger on) of the deal.

"Why are you telling me this? " Reborn regarded Hibari thoughtfully, amused that he would be playing the ignorant card. He couldn't have expected less from Vongola's Cloud Guardian.

"How would you like to train her?"

Perfect. Hibari's lips curled into a predator-like smile.

"Fight me and i will."

* * *

"Oww..."

Groaning in pain, Yuu opened her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar room. Rubbing her throbbing head tenderly, she glanced down to find herself swathed in a massive amount of bandages. Horror-stricken, seh immediately performed a cursory check to assure herself that her encounter with Hibari had not left her permanently handicapped , though it was highly possible that she had lost quite a number of braincells. Gingerly lifting herself off the comfortable pillow, she surveyed her surroundings. It was rather similar to Tsuna's, albeit with lesser furniture. Footsteps outside the room announced the fact that someone was about to enter. As the door swung open, Yuu recognised the lady in the doorway as Tsuna's mother. Greeting her with a smile, she entered the room to check on Yuu's injuries before re-bandaging them.

"Hello, I'm so glad you're awake. I was getting worried. You really should be more careful when riding a bicycle, Yuu-chan. "

Bicycle? Yuu smiled weakly at the beaming lady, unsure of how to respond. Though she was grateful to Tsuna for making up an excuse to prevent anyone from interrogating her about the origins of her injuries, she found it rather incredulous for one to believe that her injuries came from a fall off a bicycle. Turning to thank Tsuna's mother who was beginning to leave, Yuu was shocked to find a sudden weight pressing down on her head.

"Ciaossu."

Yuu eyed the baby warily, receiving only a smirk in response. Sitting amid the mess of blond curls, Reborn stared at Yuu with his beady eyes, causing the girl to shift about uncomfortably.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I had sent you to meet Hibari ?"

Yuu shook her head, somewhat relieved that the awkward silence was shattered. She could vaguely guess the motive behind Reborn's actions. This mafia game had already taken a sinister turn and Yuu was beginning to wonder if it was possible that her timid classmate - Tsuna was a mafia boss.

"You sent me there to test me. Am i right ? "

Reborn nodded, slightly taken aback by the speed the girl caught on. At once, any doubts of recruiting her into Tsuna's family vanished.

"You missed the other objective, though. While your fighting abilities had surpassed my expectations, you still have to receive trainning for you to become an asset to the Vongola. Do you understand? "

Yuu nodded, surprised by the seriousness that overcame the infant's features. So it seems that her suspicion of the baby was not unfounded. She did not miss the subtle warning behind those words, affirming that the Vongola business was most definately true. Frowning in concentration, Yuu's mind began reeling. Just what had she gotten herself into? Reborn, still perched on the distressed female's head, was quietly observing her. She had proved herself worthy of joining the Vongola in more than one way, be it her fighting or intellectual abilities. Would she be able to possess the maturity that would be necessary to face the grim that comes with joining the mafia? As Reborn watched the cerulean orbs darken with determination, he smirked. He had truly made an excellent choice. Once certain that Yuu's attention was back on him, he began speaking.

"The other objective was to find you a teacher, Yuu."

* * *

**4 chapters down ! I know there has been practically no Yuu/Hibari goodness in any of the chapters yet but now that the whole thing has been set, you can expect to see more interaction between those two. I apologise if my language is shoddy because I haven't been feeling well lately. If there is any mistakes, please do tell me. A huge thank you to Raven T for reviewing :) Please comment and review :) **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : The First Lesson

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR

"Herbivore."

Yuu froze, eyes widening in fear upon hearing that cold voice. She briefly considered making a run for it but quickly dismissed as impossible. Cringing slightly, she turned around slowly, muscles tensing. Her eyes met those of Hibari and she felt a shudder run down her spine. Not that they were ugly. If anything, they were almost _pretty. _Yuu gulped. If Hibari had somhow managed to hear her thoughts, she was as good as dead. The prefect, however, oblivious to what was running through her mind, merely smirked, pleased with the fear he had managed to strike in the herbivore. Turning on his heel, he headed towards the rooftop, his tonfas already in the palm of his hands. Behind him. Yuu sighed at the arrogant attitude of her new found teacher before following him, his long strides forcing her to run just to match his pace.

By the time they had reached the rooftop, Yuu's cheeks were flushed. Mentally cursing Hibari and his long legs, she blew out her cheeks, surveying the rooftop for any structure she could use to her advantage. Out of the blue, a quick gush of wind that hit the back of her head informed her of the incoming tonfa attack. Instinctively she ducked , barely managing to escape the blow before rolling to a safe distance.

"Hibari-san, couldn't you have at least informed me before we started training?"

Yuu frowned in concentration, avoiding the tonfas to the best of her abilities. Thwack! The cold metal hit her in the stomach causing her to fly quite a distance.

"No."

Scrambling to her feet, Yuu growled at Hibari's reply. How badly she wanted to wipe that maniacal grin off his face! A second attack that slapped her across the cheek threw all thoughts of revenge away. The rooftop was almost bare, the structures she could use to her advantage limited. Yuu focused her attentions on Hibari. Would it be possible that the great Hibari had a pattern to his attacks or an opening in one of them. Thwack! Another blow caught her on her head making her momentarily see stars. Yuu shook her head, trying to block out the pain. Lifting her hand to wipe the vermillion liquid that oozed out of her injury, she grimaced. It looks like she will have to spend the next few days in bandages.

Fixing her gaze upon Hibari once more, she suddenly found what she was looking for as he raised his tonfas for another attack. His jacket! For once, Yuu was glad Hibari's jacket was still casually slung across his shoulders. The black material had accentuated every movement of his shoulder. In other words, his jacket would inch up just a bit before he moved his tonfas, giving Yuu a split second to dodge. A smirk tugged at Yuu's lips. It was time to surprise Hibari Kyouya.

* * *

Hibari frowned at the herbivore, her smile fuelling his irritation. Had she lost it after that blow to her head ? He swung his tonfas, determined to make that smile disappear. Wait. Hibari attacked once more to affirm his suspicion. Something was amiss. Locking his eyes onto the herbivore, he watched as she spun around to avoid his blows. There was definately something wrong with the way that herbivore moved. The prefect bared his teeth, ignoring the uneasy feeling in his chest. Tightening his grip on his tonfas, he lunged.

There.

He finally realised what had bothered him so much. The herbivore had reacted before he had even moved. Hibari's frown deepened in confusion. It was almost like she could predict his moves. Then, the frown gave way to a smirk. This fight was actually turning interesting. Tilting his head, he studied the herbivore, determined to find the reason for her sudden talent for foreseeing. She resembled Hibird in a way, with her blond hair and slight frame, albeit a more annoying one. Her speed was also almost comparable to the swiftness his feathered comrade possessed, though Hibari doubted she knew the school song by heart. She was panting too, obviously tired from their sparring. Hibari rolled his eyes at the weakness of her physical body. She was really a herbivore. After a moment or two, Hibari gave up. There was nothing different with that herbivore. He gripped his herbivore. It did not matter. After all, he doubted the fight would be interesting without her advantage. Swinging his tonfas, he lunged, only to pause in mid-attack. The Hibird alter-ego's eyes had given her away. The second he attcked, they shifted their attention to his shoulder. Looking down at said part of his anatomy, he glared at the jacket. So this was what had given her the advantage.

* * *

Yuu frowned as Hibari paused in mid-attack before his gaze shifted down to his jacket. This was not going well for her. Tensing her muscles, she waited for Hibari to rid her off her only advantage. Thwack ! A tonfa hit her on her knees, causing her to crumble under the pressure. Wincing, she looked up at the prefect, puzzlement in her eyes when she noticed that he was still wearing his jacket.

"Rule number 1 : Don't you dare daydream when fighting with me."

Yuu nodded slightly, pushing herself off the floor despite the protest from her knees. Hibari lunged once more, his tonfas coming into contact with flesh again. The prefect's smirk soured. Raising his tonfas once more, he attack the herbivore again. Thwack! Hibari growled, disappointment evident in his tone. What was wrong with that herbivore? He had given her an advantage so that he could at least have a fight worth fighting and here she was, wasting it away. Hibari watched as the herbivore lifted her head, eyes curiously watching him. The prefect frowned. He was beginning to doubt that spark of intelligence had actually came from that girl. It was hard to believe the herbivore sitting on the floor with that dumb questioning look in her eyes could actually manage to find a weakness in his fighting style. Hibari rolled his eyes. Why did he agree to train her in the first place? That herbivore was already grating on his nerves to no end.

" You managed to find that out on your own so you can keep that advantage. Besides, i doubt that you can make this fight interesting without your advantage."

Yuu frowned at the pride in his tone, slightly disgruntled that he had insulted her. Then it struck her. Could Hibari actually be praising her ability to sieve out an advantage against him? Yuu's eyes lit up.

"Hibari- sensei, I'll try my best to make this fight interesting."

* * *

**Done. I hope Hibari isn't OOC in this chapter. Just to straighten it out, Hibari was NOT checking Yuu out in the middle of a fight. He was merely curious about her ability to predict his moves. Once again, thank you to Raven T for commenting:) Please comment and review **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 : A Helping Hand

"Thank Heavens, school is finally over!" Yuu muttered under her breath, hissing slightly when her movements caused a sharp pain in the injured flesh near her ribcage. Swiftly rearranging her features to conceal the agony she felt, she waved goodbye to her friends before heading home. It would be too much trouble explaining her wounds and a part of Yuu was worried that she might be ostracized if anyone came to know of her relationship with the feared prefect. At the thought of him, her hand moved to clutch the messy bandage that was clumsily wrapped around her mid-section. Her first lesson (read: torture session) with Hibari had left her bloody and late for class. To prevent rumors from circulating about the origins of her wounds, Yuu had promptly decided to take care of her injuries herself. Yet even after a week (with loads of practicing, thanks to Hibari), her first-aid skills were still terrible to say the least. Scowling in displeasure at the clumsiness of her fingers, Yuu turned into an alley, taking a shortcut home to avoid having her bandages fall off in the middle of the street.

Thwack! Yuu ducked, adrenaline pumping through her veins as her body tensed, the familiar sound sending her into "battle mode". It took a moment or two for her to realise that her "beloved" teacher had not decided to spring an attack on her for breaking one of his ridiculous rules. Yuu frowned, confused. She was quite a distance away from Namimori and given that guy's crazy affection for the school, it would be unlikely that he would stray so far when there were students in there who could harm it. Tilting her head, she closed her eyes, focusing on her ears as she struggled to locate the direction of the sound. Thwack! Yuu spun to her right, sprinting towards a small lane, worry for Hibari's latest victim overcoming her fear for the prefect. While she doubted that Hibari would actually kill someone, Yuu knew the extent of injury Hibari could inflict, having received it firsthand.

Though the distance was not very much, when she had reached the "crime scene", her bandage was practically falling apart. Using her hand to make it stay in place,Yuu growled, her courage faltering at facing an irritated Hibari with only one mobile hand. Switching her attention from her own plight to the scene before her, her eyes took in the back of Hibari who was currently lost in blood-lust as he slashed viciously at the two high-schoolers. Yuu watched as the two managed to avoid Hibari's lunge, one even attempting to kick the prefect in the ribs. Sighing, she shook her head at the futility of the guy's actions, mentally preparing herself for another beating when she saw something that made her pause. The shorter guy with dyed drown hair was signaling urgently with his hand behind his back. Snapping her head up, she observed the faces of the two boys, cerulean orbs widening as she took in the slight nod of acknowledgment that they passed between each other, their eyes shifting around as if searching for something. They were hiding something. Something that they thought would somehow save them from Hibari. Yuu briefly toyed with the ideea of an embarrassing photo of Hibari being the two's trump card before dismissing it. It did not fit in this jigsaw of a mystery. Besides, the two "victims" seem more capable then that. Yuu frowned, uncertain if she should step in. She doubted the plan of those two would actually succeed, yet, they did not seem eager for help. Sweeping her gaze across the lane, her eyes landed on something that piqued her curiousity - a dark shadow behind a stack of wooden crates that occasionally moved.

An ambush ? Or a hapless passerby who had found himself trapped in this dangerous situation? Despite her worry for the well-being of the two boys, Yuu left the two on their own, deciding to check the owner or owners of the shadow instead. Going through another lane, she found herself staring at the back of a dozen high-schoolers who, judging from their uniforms, were from the same school as the two she met before. Yuu frowned, taking in the weapons in their hands, as her rage rose. While she could not deny that Hibari was rather mean and unreasonable at times, with a violent streak to match, the guys' actions were simply despicable. Tensing her muscles, she was just about to notify Hibari of the incoming ambush when the boys stood up and charged, en masse. Yuu growled, rushing forward to stop the first male that reached Hibari. Quickly, blocking the attack with her arms, she kicked him in the stomach, causing the attacker to double over in pain. Yuu ignored the death glare from Hibari, choosing instead to focus on the fight she had gotten tangled into rather than than thinking about the beating Hibari was going to give her for "stealing" his prey.

* * *

Hibari frowned, displeasure evident on his face. How dare that herbivore take his prey away from him! Hibari bared his teeth. Now he would have to rush through his punishment, rather than taking his time to ensure that his job was thoroughly done. Then a thought struck him. Was that herbivore actually doubting his ability to properly defend himself?

"Go away. I don't need your help," Hibari growled. That herbivore was going to be bitten to death when he was done.

"I didn't come because you needed help. I came to even out the odds." Turning his head slightly, Hibari glared at the herbivore. What was she talking about? There was no such thing as fair in a fight. It just depended on how strong one was. Easily attacking his victim, he studied the herbivore, watching her fight. She was peculiar, hitting the spot which would deliver minimal damage. Hibari scoffed. Typical herbivore. Gripping his tonfas, he embraced the blood-lust that thrummed in his veins. Thwack! Those who attempted to harm Namimori in any way will be bitten to death.

* * *

Yuu leap out of the onslaught of attacks. After a week with Hibari's tonfas, the blows she faced now was much simpler to avoid, though her injuries from this morning slowed her down. Ouch! Yuu grimaced. Sparing a swift glance down, she groaned inwardly as a steady flow of crimson liquid began staining her white uniform. Trying her best to ignore the pain from the re-opened wound, she elbowed an attacker, swivelling on the balls of her feet to face another. How much damage did she have to deal out before they got the message to leave? The pain seemed much worse compared to when she had received it. Yuu shook her head, blinking furiously to rid herelf of the dark spots which blocked her vision. Swish! The girl froze momentarily before attempting to avoid the blow, but her pain slowed her down and she felt a hard object hit her where her wound was. Yuu growled, her pain fuelling her irritation. She had not expected such an underhanded move from the male who stood before her. To think he would actually attack her in her vulnerable moment. Yuu stood up, causing her head to spin from the movement. She bit her lips, determination filling her. She was going to bring the offending human before her down. Using the back of her hand to slap him across his face, she was about to hook her leg around his attacker to pull him down when a flash of silver filled her vision.

Thwack!

Yuu blinked, staring at the male that was now laying on the ground out cold. Lifting her head to gaze at Hibari, she prepared herself for his blow. 1...2...3...Yuu frowned. Gathering her courage, she looked up, only to be greeted with ... blank space. Straightening up, she looked around. Hibari was no where to be found. Yuu sighed in relief, though puzzled by the prefect's actions. Then a fresh wave of pain wiped all questions away. Yuu groaned, doubling over in pain. Her vision darkened, a growing feeling of nausea in her chest. Closing her eyes, she was already unconcious by the time her body hit the floor with a thud.

* * *

Yuu cracked opened an eye, before sitting up in a shock , which caused a shot of pain to strike her, as she surveyed her surroundings. Her mouth turned down slightly as she studied the filthy ground she was on, before she realised that the injured bodies of Hibari's victims were already gone. Immediately, her irritation sparked. Judging by how she was still on the floor of the alley, it had to be the disciplinary committee's handiwork and Yuu could not help the anger that brewed within her. Would it have been too much for them to shift her to a cleaner environment or at least wake her up? Yuu got up, dusting herself off when she spotted an object on the floor. Bending over, despite the protests from her wound, she picked up the roll of bandage. After studying it carefully, she picked up the note that was stuck on it.

_I'll bite you to death tomorrow_

Yuu rolled her eyes. Turning the note around, she glanced at the back of the note, laughing a little as she read the printed instructions on how to properly perform first-aid. Knowing the prefect's pride, he had done so to avoid owing her anything, which meant he had indirectly admitted that she had been of some help. Yuu bit her lips, trying to hold back the maniacal grin. To think she would actually be of assistance to Hibari...

* * *

**There are three things that i have to say. Firstly, i apologise for any OOC. This was a particularly difficult chapter to write. I wanted Hibari/Yuu's relationship to develop, yet I was trying to keep Hibari's character in check. So please accept my apology. As i was writing this story, there were quite a number of doubt points, or so i call them, which means a point in the story where i am unsure which action the character should do. For example, if Hibari should hit Yuu or not, or if Hibari should have left Yuu in the alley or brought her to the prefecture room or maybe even(gulp) his house, or if he should have helped Yuu bandage her wound (swoon). I decided on leaving Yuu in an alley because I doubt Hibari would want bloodstains in his darling Namimori and their relationship had not developed so far that he would willingly bring her to his house. However, if anyone feels strongly against my choice and feels that I have greatly insulted Hibari's charcter, do tell me about it. Secondly, hugs and kisses to Raven T for commenting 3 times ! (Side note: I really loved your story and i'm really sure that you would have been able to portray a far better Hibari than I do. Thank you for commenting.) Thirdly, please comment and review! Thank you **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 : A Different Type Of Strength

Hibari eyed the herbivore in front of him, his irritation surging as he watched her hurriedly inch away from him. What had gotten into her now? A few weeks ago, she had so recklessly and idiotically went into his way, stealing his prey from him. Now here she was, running away from a fight instead of properly defending herself. Hibari growled. If that herbivore actually thought that he would accept her pathetic movements, she was going to be bitten to death. Lunging forward, he swung his tonfas. After four weeks of training with her, he had been, at the very least, expecting an unprecedented move from her.

Thwack! Hibari grinned, a maniacal smile that would have made him seem loopy if not for that serious look in his dark eyes. His gaze raked over the herbivore's face, relishing the grimace on her face. The herbivore began to flee to the other side, no longer bothering to conceal the fact that she was running away from a fight. Hibari's grin soured before he rushed after her, attacking her petite frame. The little herbivore swiftly dodged, dropping on the ground to roll away from his tonfas. The prefect frowned, moving his tonfas for another strike when he felt a force pull on his tonfas.

Thud! Glancing down at the fallen herbivore, he glared at her carelessness. From her previous performance, it was quite unbelievable that she had tripped over his tonfas. She thought too much, evaluating every movement so as to result in the least possible damage. Hibari gripped his tonfas, determined to make her regret not taking this lesson seriously, when the bell rang, signalling the start of school. Hibari scowled. Talk about bad timing. Turning around, he headed towards his favourite spot on the rooftop to catch a short nap. There was going to be some kind of competition held in Namimori later on and he had to supervise (bite anyone who dared to spoil the property of Namimori to death) it. Out of the semi-lidded eyes, Hibari watched the herbivore limp towards the exit, wincing with every step. She was weak. Closing his eyes as the human version of Hibird exited, he quickly drifted off to sleep. Being constantly irritated was proving to be extremely tiring.

* * *

Hibari surveyed the throngs of people rushing in, gritting his teeth as he struggled to hold himself back from driving those people away. Their constant chattering gave him a headache and he sorely wished he was back on the rooftop. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he glared fiercely at the few brave enough to come within a few feet radius near him. He was about to head outside for some fresh air when a familiar flash of gold caught his eye. Hibari turned, his eyes tracking that blond head down.

There it was. The prefect's eyes narrowed as his herbivore-student moved among the crowds. What was the herbivore doing? She should be in class. Hibari growled, heading towards her. He was going to bite her to death. As he neared, he took in her leotard-clad form and tightly bun hair, before realizing that she was part of the gymnastic team. Hibari mentally scoffed. The school's gymnastic team has been the butt of many jokes and it was only because the instructor had promised him that they had a new secret weapon did he agree to keep the team, on the condition that they made it into the finals of this year's inter-school competition, of course. Hibari smirked lightly. If that blond herbivore was their secret weapon, he would finally be able to get rid of that eyesore of a team. He was sure her ankle had been sprained from this morning's workout. The prefect watched her walk up to the blue gym mats.

Wait...walk? Hibari studied the girl who was currently waving to the cheering crowds, bouncing up and down like an excited child.

A whistle broke the skylark's train of thoughts. He would take care of the herbivore later. Moving to his seat at the back of the auditorium, away from the crowds, he watched the competition with newfound interest. If that herbivore had lied to him about her injury, he was going to bite her to death.

The competition began and soon, it was Namimori's team turn to perform. Hibari narrowed his eyes as the herbivore pranced onto the stage.

"The Namimori Team comprising of Kawasumi Yuu, Kano Rie and Ohira Kaede(vault and beam balance),Sugai Hoshi, Aoki Jun and Chino Mari ( floor exercise and uneven beams)."

The announcer gave a brief introduction before giving another whistle. The first one up was Yuu, much to Hibari's pleasure. He was not a patient person and having to wait for so long just to watch the herbivore perform was irritating him. She started off gracefully, running at full speed for the 23 meters before soaring high on the vault. Her vault was perfect, performing the difficult tsukahara double pike fluidly. Landing steadily on pointed toes, she smiled the crowd silent before loud cheering ensued. Hibari frowned, momentarily forgetting to feel upset for the loss of his chance to close down the gymnastic team, as he searched the herbivore's face for any sign of pain. That was when he noticed her smile. It was perfect, an expression created to project the image of brimming joy and triumph.

Too perfect…too plastic…

The prefect glared at the fake smile, his irritation increasing for unknown reasons as he watched her plaster that grin to her face. So, she was feeling pain. Hibari's frown deepened. Was that girl some sort of masochist? He had long given up on figuring the mechanics of her mind and was currently debating the possibility that she had some sort of mental defection that caused her to constantly behave in a way that would inflict the largest amount of injury on herself. She was a weird sort of herbivore, a one of a kind sort of thing, he promptly decided and that intrigued him, just a little only, of course. So lost in his thoughts was he did he realize that the competition was having a break only when the massive crowds of people began surging out as one. Moving to his feet, he swiftly made his way to the locker rooms, the crowds parting to let him through. He was going to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Kawasumi Yuu.

* * *

Silently entering the locker rooms, he watched his prey carefully lift her feet up, placing it on the bench opposite the one she was sitting on. A wince crossed her features as she began gently messaging it to ease the pain. Hibari tapped his foot impatiently. How long would it take for her to notice him? As though hearing his thoughts, the girl turned, her jaw dropping upon the sight of him.

"Hi...Hibari-sensei!"

Hibari rolled his eyes. She was being unnecessarily loud. Glaring fiercely at the herbivore, he asked, charmingly as ever.

"Why did you do that for?"

The girl studied him before she replied.

" There has to be at least six members in a gymnastic team. I couldn't let my team mates down."

Hibari scoffed. He should have expected it. Those were typical sappy herbivore emotions. She wasn't anything special. She was exactly like that Tsunayoshi kid, talking about protecting and loving. Hibari sneered. Unable to stop himself, he informed her candidly of his opinion, his subconscious wanting her to feel as disappointed as he did ( not that he'll ever acknowledge that).

" Only herbivores say such stuff."

The blond merely looked at him, straight in the eye. Hibari frowned, slightly uncomfortable as he met her eyes. Who did she think she was? No herbivore was fit to do that. He was about to threaten her with injuries of some sort when she smiled. The fake smile that made Hibari more annoyed than ever.

" If being a carnivore means drawing strength from self-interest, I think I'd rather be a herbivore."

Hibari frowned, his annoyance at her smile preventing him from deciphering the true meaning of her words.

"If you smile at me like that again, I'll bite you to death."

Turning to leave the rather puzzled herbivore, her words echoed in the prefect's mind. Self-interest? Hibari paused. A small part of his mind seethed at being insulted, yet a larger portion of it focused on the big picture. Hibari shook his head. This was getting confusing. He was getting muddled up by the silly words of a herbivore. Running a hand through his ebony hair, he closed his mind to all thoughts. The herbivore he was teaching was more troublesome than he first realized.

* * *

**I'm really sorry if this chapter is crappier than my other chapters. There has been so much going on in my life (namely exams, projects and more important exams) and I had to rush this out. I apologise for any OOC (Hibari is so hard to portray in a romantic situation for an amateur writer like me). If there is any mistake in the gymnastic part, i apologise. I have never been one for gymnastics so everything that i wrote was based purely on research. Thank yous to Sylphiie, Gwenny-Dear and Chocolate Ribbons for commenting. I really appreciate it ( I did some changes according to what you guys said, if I missed out anything, please do tell me). Do comment and review. Thank You :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Confession

"Yuu-chan, did you see Hibari-senpai today?"

Yuu glanced up at the cheery face of Rie and nodded. How could she not? No matter how badly she wished, Hibari had never been absent for their daily "workout". At her reply, Rie grin only got wider as she began bouncing eagerly on the balls of her feet.

"Don't you think he looks exceptionally good today?"

The blond gave her friend another look before laughing good-naturedly. Rie had a certain talent to be overly enthusiastic about almost everything and despite having known her for a long time , Yuu still found this aspect of her amusing, to say the least. Yet, a larger part of Yuu was curious about Rie's infatuation with Hibari. He was good-looking, no doubt, and with his aloof and mysterious personality, it was understandable why most girls found him attractive. The part which puzzled Yuu was how Rie could be interested in him for so long. While several traits of his personality would draw the opposite gender to him, his continual withdrawn personality should have caused his admirers to lose interest after a while. After all, Yuu believed that it would be impossible for someone to fall in love with Hibari based on the little knowledge they have of him. Yuu frowned. It would be outright rude for her to voice her opinion to her friend (who so happened to be one of said admirers). Hence, Yuu soon cast the thought as one of the millions of mysteries that surrounded Hibari. Focusing on her raving friend once more, she realised Rie was reaching into her bag. With a flourish, the girl whipped out a white envelope before thrusting it into Yuu's hands.

"Read it. Tell me what you think!"

Yuu smiled at Rie before swiftly scanning through the contents of the letter. A tiny frown formed on her face as she read, her face becoming a tad paler as she reached the end of the letter.

"Please tell me you don't intend to pass this to him..."

Rie looked at Yuu, slightly shocked by Yuu's sudden outburst. Grinning at Yuu, she nodded, causing the blond to bite her bottom lip nervously. If this had been any other guy, Yuu was sure she would have encouraged Rie to confess her feelings. However, the person of her friend's affection had to be Hibari. As much a Yuu tried to believe the possibility of Hibari actually allowing her friend escape unscathed both emotionally and physically after she not only disturbed him but also wasted his precious time, she could not picture it. Hibari being nice was just not Hibari. Rie was pretty in her own way. Yet, Yuu had no doubt Hibari in his usual Hibari fashion would overlook that fact and focus more on how interesting of an opponent she would be.

Staring into the earnest pair of brown eyes that looked back at her, Yuu sighed. She could not possibly announce her unfavourable deduction to her friend. Massaging her forehead with the tips of her fingers, she cautiously reanalysed her opinion. There had to be something that would make her judgment sound less terrible. Then a thought struck her. She had ruled the possibility of Hibari's image being merely a facade. Yuu frowned, slightly disappointed with herself. Her earlier deduction had been ruled by emotions, causing it to become completely biased and one-sided. It was possible that Hibari's character might actually be different from the image that she perceived him to be. Yuu pushed down the slight twinge of discontent as she made herself acutely aware that her knowledge of Hibari was close to nothing and making a conclusion based on what she thought his personality ought to be like could be a mistake. Plastering a grin on her face, Yuu paused for a moment before answering.

"Rie-chan...Just be careful. Hibari-senpai has quite the tendency to be violent..."

Upon hearing Yuu's answer, Rie's shoulders slumped. Her jubilant expression instantaneously replaced by a downcast one.

"Yuu-chan, are you scared of Hibari-senpai? I had planned to ask you to pass this to Hibari on my behalf."

Yu stared at Rie, momentarily dumbfounded.

"You mean...you're afraid of Hibari-senpai? Why would you want to confess to him if you're intimidated by him? "

"I'm not afraid of Hibari-senapi, Yuu-chan... I 'm just embarrassed to pass the note to him. What if he turns me down flatly?"

Yuu looked at Rie. As much as she doubted Rie's sanity, it hurt her to see her like this. Ignoring the fear that rose at the thought of facing an irritated Hibari, she carefully began weighing her options. It only took her a few seconds to reach her decision. One more fight with Hibari would not be worth watching her friend get hurt, would it? Yuu winced. She was certain that she would regret her decision in the near future.

"I'll pass it to Hibari-senpai for you, Rie-chan."

* * *

Gripping the pristine envelope tightly in her hand, Yuu cautiously made her way into the prefecture room. To her relief, Hibari was nowhere to be seen. Yuu glanced at her watch. If her guess was right, Hibari should be on his way patrolling the corridors of Namimori at this time. Moving swiftly, she ran towards the wooden desk in the room. A cursory search, however, informed her that his bag was not in sight. Frowning, Yuu carefully opened the drawers of the cupboards to no avail. Just where did that guy keep his belongings? Muttering angrily under her breath, Yuu was about to leave the envelope on his desk and head out when a sharp click reverberated around the room.

Yuu froze. She threw a quick glance at the window before turning the idea down. It would take her too long to reach it, much less safely climb out of it and haul herself to a less threatening situation. A panicked look around the room also immediately informed her of the lack of hiding space available. Hence, she settled for her only alternative - hiding underneath the wooden table. Holdng her breath, she closed her eyes, focusing all her attention on her ears. She could hear footsteps nearing her hideout. Biting her bottom lip, she waited anxiously. It would be a miracle if she could get out of this situation.

As the footsteps came to a halt, she sighed in resignation. She knew it, such a hasty and careless move would not have gone unnoticed by Hibari. Sure enough, the prefect's cool voice reached her ears.

"Herbivore, get out."

Yuu stood up slowly, inhaling deeply to master up the courage to look into Hibari's eyes. As expected, they held irritation. Yuu gulped. She was in a huge mess and she knew it. Shifting her feet nervously, she waited for Hibari to make the first move. After a couple of moments, he spoke up.

"Herbivore, explain yourself, before I bite you to death."

It was only then that Yuu was reminded of her purpose of coming to this dangerous place. Immediately, she tried slipping the note into her back pocket. If she had left it in her palm, Hibari was sure to notice it. Unfortunately for Yuu, lady luck was not smiling on her. In a split second, Yuu found her arm twisted painfully as Hibari easily took the note from her hands. Frowning at her, he opened the envelope, his eyes swiftly reading it before tucking it into his pocket.

"Herbivore, if you have the time to write this kind of nonsense, shouldn't you be studying instead. Tsuna and his group of friends have already pulled down Namimori's average results. Should it drop any lower because of you, i'll bite you to death. "

Yuu stared at Hibari, confusion causing question marks to erupt from her brain. Surely he did not think that the confession was from her? Yuu was about to clarify the situation for the sake of her dignity when the thought of Rie being ridiculed by Hibari made her stop. Silently cursing her luck and Hibari's violent tendencies, she felt her cheeks grow hot. How was she supposed to face him now after this misunderstanding? Shutting her mind down to prevent herself from doing anything regrettable, she held her head high and left. She had no doubt Hibari was going to use this situation to torment her in the future.

* * *

Hbari was about to sit down when he felt something uncomfortable in his pocket. Pulling the offending object out, he realised it was the herbivore's confession. Smirking at himself, he began opening it once more, before the queerness of his actions struck him. It was not the first time he had received a lovesick letter from a girl and his usual method of disposing it would include tearing the letter up before throwing it into the girl's hands. Shaking his head, he regarded it as one of those spur-of-the-moment things for him to use as blackmail against the herbivore later. Re-reading it carefully, his eyes caught sight of the signature at the bottom. _Kano Rie. _Hibari frowned. So it had not been the herbivore's letter... Instinctively, his hands ripped up the letter before emptying it into the bin. He needed to bite someone to death.

* * *

**I'm really really sorry for updating this so late. The reason behind it was that my laptop was confiscated so I couldn't update it. A thousand apologies... Please comment and review. Thank you to Chocolate Ribbons, Raven T, Gwenny-Dear and oneday4you for commenting. Please forgive me for any spelling or grammatical mistakes :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chaos at Lunch

Yuu sighed in dismay as she looked into her bag once more. She must have left it at home. Frowning, she was about to reach into her pocket when an image struck her. Had she not placed it next to her lunchbox this morning? Slapping her forehead, Yuu groaned. Her neighbour had passed her some pastries which she had baked and she had been looking forward to eating it for lunch. Settling back into her seat, she glanced around her. Kyoko had been pulled out of class as soon as the lunch bell rang by her brother and , after a brief goodbye, Hana had followed. Yuu mentally laughed. The crush that Hana was harbouring on Kyoko's brother was too obvious for words. It was such a pity that she could not see that Ryohei also felt the same towards her as seen by the increase of " to the extreme" shouts when he was around her. Smiling slightly at her friend's obliviousness, she was about to head to the library to read when Yamamoto appeared in front of her, his usual wide smiles in place.

" Yo, Yuu-chan. What's wrong? You looked kinda upset for a moment there. "

Yuu shook her head, grinning back at the tall male, though it turned into more of a grimace as she noticed several females sending glares in her direction as Yamamoto casually slung his arm across her shoulders.

"Its alright. I left my lunchbox and wallet at home. My forgetfulness is really amazing, ne?"

The baseball player laughed, causing Yuu's grin to spread even wider. In the few months since she joined Tsuna's family, she had come to know Yamamoto a bit more and one of the first few things she noted was his contagious laughter. That, together with his natural charisma, easily made him one of the most popular guys in class.

"Maa...maa... You had me worried for a second there. Let's go the rooftop for lunch with the others. Otou-san packed me extra sushi."

Yuu frowned, embarrassed. Cautiously watching her friend's face, she replied," Yamamoto-kun, I'm alright missing one meal. You don't have to inconvenience yourself for me."

The tall brunette merely gave her one of his usual wide grins before half-dragging her to the rooftop.

* * *

Upon reaching the rooftop, Yuu glanced around nervously as an involuntary shudder made its way through her body. This place held too many memories of her sparring lessons with Hibari. Swiftly casting a sideway glance at Yamamoto, she was relieved that he had not seemed to notice her odd reactions. She was not sure if Reborn had informed the others about her lessons with Hibari and she wanted it to be kept as much of a secret as possible. Taking a deep breath, Yuu closed her mind to the unpleasant thoughts as she settled onto the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. The weather was brilliant today, with just the right amount of sun and breeze. Tilting her face up, she suddenly sprawled out onto the ground on impulse, enjoying the moment for all it was worth. A deep laugh filled the air as Yamamoto chuckled at her actions.

" Was math lesson boring to you too? I had never been able to stay awake in that class either. It must be because Sensei resembles a pillow..."

Yuu giggled at the male's logic. It was common knowledge that math lesson was nap time to Yamamoto. Yet, his reason took her off guard. Though, now that she thought about it, Sensei did indeed resemble a bit of a pillow with his pale skin and slightly chubby figure. Shaking her head in reply to his question, she closed her eyes. The culprit behind her fatigue was someone more intimidating than the strict Sensei, someone with a feathered friend. Letting her mind wander, her train of thoughts immediately went to the yellow bird that often followed Hibari around. Her first encounter with it had allowed her to see a new side of Hibari. However, what kept her mind on it was not the strange combination of its cuteness and Hibari's bloodthirsty tendencies but rather the fact that it was not really a bird. After observing the tiny creature for a few seconds it was obvious that there was something wrong with it. She doubted any bird that had not gone under any modifications would have the vocal chords which gave it its ability to communicate. Although she had met Hibird several times since their initial meeting, the bird or whatever it was still remained a mystery to her.

_Very much like its master, _her lazy mind thought, summoning an image of a pair of piercing metallic blue eyes. During one of their lessons, she had looked into his eyes in a bid to gain an advantage over him by predicting his next moves. In that very instant, it had dawned onto her one of the many reasons behind Hibari's aptitude in fighting. If the eyes of normal people (or so to speak) were to be compared with a pool of emotions, his were a mirror - betraying nothing underneath its surface; serving only to point out the mistakes in his opponent's attacks.

Yuu frowned, briefly entertaining the thought of Hibari being mildly deranged._It made sense, _the tired part of her brain weakly argued. He defied all the logic of the human mind. It was almost as though he had no instincts, no feelings, no inclination. Yuu could still remember how after her first lesson with Hibari, she had spent the night poring over psychological books in an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding him , only to no avail. That guy was just too unpredictable, too unreadable and much to Yuu's annoyance, she doubted she ever would be able to understand him.

A loud cry of "Juudaime" caused her to open her eyes just in time to see Tsuna trip over the flat surface of the concrete floor. Yuu hurriedly rose up, her mind torn between amusement and concern. After Tsuna had ensured his friends that he was fine and comforted the frantic Gokudera who was kowtowing to him in apology for not being able to protect him, the five of them settled down in a misshapen circle around Yamamoto's lunchbox.

"Itadakimasu!"

* * *

Hibari Kyouya was not happy. He had been napping peacefully on the rooftop of his beloved Namimori when a loud cry had unceremoniously jolted him awake. Frowning, the prefect slid his tonfas out from the sleeves of his jacket. He was on his feet in one fluid motion and he silently treaded towards the source of the commotion. Those herbivores should have known better than to disrupt the peace of Namimori.

As the cloud guardian neared the scene, the sight that greeted his eyes did nothing to alleviate the murderous mood he was in. The blond Hibird look-a-like was sitting with Tsunayoshi and his herbivore friends. Dark eyes narrowed as he watched the herbivore laugh at something Yamamoto Takeshi said. Her laugh was annoying, he decided there and then. The high-pitched sound sounded like nails on a chalkboard to him. That and the fact that he hated crowding was enough to make him attack them. Tightening his grip on his tonfas, he lunged. The blond herbivore should have known better than to break his rule about crowding.

* * *

Slowly rubbing her hands around her forearms, Yuu tried to rid herself of the goosebumps that appeared on her skin. While the mood before had been cheery, there was a thickening sense of dread hanging in the air. Looking around, she noticed that Tsuna had stiffened too, his half-eaten sushi frozen on its way to his mouth. Yuu knew about the Vongola hyper-intuition thing that Reborn had informed her about. If Tsuna felt that there was something amiss, there was definitely something wrong. Turning to face Tsuna, Yuu was about to voice her concerns when an all too familiar rush of silver dashed from her peripheral gasped, immediately curling her frame to reduce the amount of surface area the tonfa could hit. A split second later, a tonfa sliced the air where her head had been. Rolling away to a safe distance, she could hear the cries of her friends over the rushing of blood in her ears.

"Hiiieee! Hi-hibari-san"

"Juudaime, I'll protect you!"

"Maa...maa. Hibari-san, there's really no need to be so upset."

Yuu tensed the muscles in her body, eyeing the advancing prefect nervously. For some reason or another, Hibari's fury was fixed solely on her. Not that she was complaining, Gokudera would probably blow up the roof and without his sword or baseball bat, Yamamoto was no match for Hibari. Tsuna too was completely helpless without Reborn's dying will bullet. Moving backwards, Yuu was filled with the contrasting emotions of relief and horror as Hibari continued heading in her direction, paying no heed to the trio behind him. Then a flicker of light caught her attention and she swung her head in its direction.

With a cry of anger, the reckless teen had flung his stick of dynamite in the air, aiming straight for Hibari. For a moment, Yuu watched the lethal explosive fly up in a gentle arc, transfixed in terror. Then, cold metal came in contact with her flesh, breaking her out of her reverie. Turning, Yuu focused on gaining as much distance away from the dynamite as possible. She had witnessed its field of damage once and had no intention of being anywhere near it when that thing exploded.

Then, the dynamite met with concrete and a thick layer of smoke covered the roof. Frantic, Yuu quickly listened for the voices of her friends while swiftly assessing the amount of harm she might have been inflicted with. To her relief, she soon heard the loud cursing of Gokudera and coughs from Tsuna. Squinting, she could make out the faint outline of the three. Yuu let out a sigh, coughing as the acrid smoke burned her lungs. Yamamoto, was the first to recover (unless you count Gokudera) and began laughing, much to everyone's shock.

"Wow! That was so life-like, Gokudera-san! I wonder how you did that..."

Yuu smiled lightly despite the circumstances. Yamamoto's cluelessness was so amusing at times. A growl emitted from her right, however, quickly rid her of her amusement. Turning, she managed to see the figure of Hibari coming into view as the smoke gradually began to clear.

"Those who destroyed the property of Namimori will be bitten to death ..."

"Hi-hibari-san!"

That had to be Tsuna. Yuu watched as the short figure dashed towards the exit of the rooftop, followed by his self-proclaimed right hand man. Yuu gulped, coming to the sudden realization of the fact that Yamamoto and her were the only ones left. Yuu shot a glance at the tall brunette who was currently still unaware of his predicament.

"Yamamoto-kun, shouldn't you go check on Tsuna-kun?"

The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. Yuu froze, noticing the icy stare that directed at her from a certain carnivore.

"Huh? Oh right! Tsuna, wait up!"

Letting out a breath that she had not known she was holding, Yuu watched as the baseball player left. Although she was well aware of the situation she had successfully gotten herself into, Yuu could not help but feel slightly glad that Yamamoto was not going to get injured because of her. Given his personality, Yuu had no doubt that the brunette would have tried his best to protect her when Hibari chose to attack. Turning to face Hibari with more calmness than she felt, she carefully arranged herself into a defensive stance.

"Herbivore, you should not have sent that weakling away."

With that, Hibari lunged, aiming a swipe at her stomach. Quickly spinning, Yuu barely managed to avoid it. It did not seem to matter how much better she was getting. That guy always managed to control his speed so that it would only be a split second faster than hers. Yuu had begun to realise that her first fight with him had been nothing more than a game to him. She was nowhere near his level yet. Turning, Yuu manage to block his next attack, even aiming a kick that pushed him back slightly.

Then, her stomach growled. Yuu froze. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Blushing, the girl lowered herself once more to a defensive crouch, ignoring the pleas of her stomach. As if she needed another opportunity to embarrass herself in front of Hibari. The previous incident with the confession letter had been enough to make her consider changing schools. Though she knew that Hibari had already discovered the real identity of the sender (as can be seen by the fact that Rie was still in the hospital), it did nothing to help her situation.

After a moment, Yuu finally gathered enough courage to look up. However, all she saw was the retreating back of Hibari. Yuu watched as the figure disappeared behind the door of the exit. What just happened? Straightening herself, Yuu looked around. The smoke had cleared greatly, with only the scent of it lingering on the rooftop. Yuu walked towards the side of the rooftop where the dynamite had hit. The ground was charred, an ugly black ring that would probably take ages for the disciplinary committee to take care of. Shaking her head at the sudden pity she felt for them, she glanced at her watch. There was still twenty minutes before lunch was over. Yuu turned, heading towards the exit. Maybe she should try and find Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto and thank them for inviting her to lunch.

As she was heading out, a figure came into her field of vision. Immediately, Yuu stiffened, preparing her muscles for a round of sparring. She should have known Hibari would not have given up on the chance on a fight. Yet, she soon noticed the missing tonfas by the prefect's side. Instead, in his hand was a black box. Yuu eyed it suspiciously as Hibari rudely thrust it into her hand before leaving without a word. Yuu frowned. Cautiously, she let her finger run over the surface of the box before stopping at a latch on it. Opening the cover, Yuu stared at it in shock. Inside the box was neatly wrapped onigiri, with several tempura on the side. Turning her head, Yuu looked at the darkened patch on the floor. Maybe Hibari was not that bad after all...

* * *

"Hibari-san, the task you gave us had already been done. "

Hibari turned and looked at the face of his Vice-head.

"If it has been done, I don't get why you have to come to me in such a fluster."

Kusakabe nervously wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand.

"What I meant, Hibari-san, is that it was already done when we got there."

Hibari glanced up at his Vice-head, frowning. Placing his jacket over his shoulders, he headed up to the rooftop. Sure enough the ground had been repainted, with a sign that hung from the door informing all that there was "Wet Paint". Hibari frowned, carefully lifting the sign up to examine it more closely. He knew this handwriting. Hibari frowned. Crushing the sign, he left the rooftop. There was a herbivore that he needed to question.

* * *

Yeah... I'm finally done with this chapter :) This was such a long one. I hoped that all the characters wasn't OOC in anyway. It was fun having Hibari being slightly jealous because of Yuu. As for the part where Hibari hit Yuu to get her to start moving, I hoped no one was against it. The original draft had been Hibari dragging Yuu away but after re-reading it, I found it slightly cheesy. But if anyone feels that Hibari pulling Yuu away would be better please do tell me and I'll change it. Please pardon any spelling or grammatical errors and thank you very much to Phantasmatis Rubramentum, Gwenny-Dear, Chocolate Ribbons, omgpink (for commenting six times), Raven T and MikaUchiha666 ( I'm really sorry for the late reply). Please comment and review. Thank you :)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Miseries of Mathematics

**Disclaimer : I do not own KHR**

Hibari glanced up as Kusakabe entered the room. Giving a curt nod in acknowledgement to the latter's bow, he waited for his Vice-Head to make his way towards him - a rather difficult feat considering the huge stack of files in his arms. As Kusakabe gently placed his burden on the table, Hibari eyed his work load wearily. Judging by its amount, he doubted he would have the luxury of retiring for the night. Rubbing his bleary eyes, he stretched his arms out to aid in the circulation of blood to his limbs. Though deskwork was not for him, ever since he had claimed the position as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari had taken it upon himself to look through each and every student's progress card. He would not allow those herbivores to lower the academic standards of Namimori.

Reaching for the first file, he paused as his eyes darted to the set of files from the "Year 2s". However, the moment of curiosity quickly passed, replaced with irritation as Hibari clenched his fist. It had been nearly half a year since the baby had made his request and though Hibari was not a man for regrets, his decision had made him feel something akin to that emotion. That herbivore was too much of an annoyance, too much of an enigma. Her very existence was a bother. He had never realised just how many objects came in the same shade of gold as the herbivore's tresses until he found himself with the inability to concentrate due to said objects. Needless to say, those objects had promptly met their tragic end under the metallic end of his tonfas. Yet, the real cause of his problem could not be uprooted as easily as such. The skylark shook his head, glaring spitefully at nothing in particular. He must be exhausted. It was the only plausible reason why he would be dwelling on "hebivore" issues like these. Glancing at the amount of work he still had to do, Hibari sighed. If he wanted to complete his work by tonight, he would have to begin now.

After a couple of hours and a growing list of herbivores he needed to "encourage", Hibari had finally came to the one file he resented. The prefect growled in displeasure for no apparent reason. He briefly considered skipping her file altogether just to avoid learning more about the herbivore. He had gradually begun to realise that his intrigue towards the herbivore was like a bottomless pit. No, it was worse than that... The more he learnt about the herbivore, the more intrigued he was by her. It irritated him to no end, though he classified his interest as nothing different from the interest that he felt towards Tsunayoshi. To him, both were the same, a simple longing to uncover their true potential and _then bite them to death_.

Frowning, he flipped the file open. Hibari Kyouya did not back off from such silly methods. Cowardice would not be tolerated. Swiftly scanning through the contents, he paused as his gaze landed on her math score. Raising an eyebrow, he turned the paper over to read the comments of her various subject teachers, a childish voice mockingly whispering " IQ : 160". Hibari frowned, considering the possibilities of the baby lying to him. The baby was cunning, no doubt, but Hibari doubted he would say such an outright lie. He was more of the type to let his victim form their own conclusions and then twist his words for his own motives.

Fixing attention on the paper in his hand, he glanced through the review. Mochida? Immediately, he froze, reading the comment by the Sensei. Closing his eyes, he mentally rummaged through the data of the students of Namimori stored in his brain. He remembered this Mochida. He had been the one who had actually lost to Tsunayoshi in a kendo match, despite having rigged it. Hibari scoffed. What was Sensei thinking, sending someone like him to coach that herbivore? While it was true that Mochida was good at mathematics, the same could not be said about the rest of his subjects. Frowning, Hibari glanced at the pile of files before looking back at the paper in his hands. It only took mere seconds for him to come to his decision. He needed to talk to a certain Sensei.

* * *

Yuu slowly headed towards the classroom, feeling more than a tad apprehensive. Sensei had not been his usual stoic self. Instead, he seemed terribly frightened as he stammered and stuttered out a string of unintelligent words before leaving with a brisk walk that bordered on the edge of running. Yuu frowned, biting her bottom lip as she neared the door. It was obvious something was wrong. Apart from Sensei's strange behaviour the classroom was also right beside the prefecture room. While it was a generalisation to state that everyone in the school feared the notorious prefect that dwelled in said room, Yuu doubted anyone would possibly venture into this danger zone on their own well. This classroom was abandoned for a reason after all.

Inhaling deeply, Yuu closed her eyes, clearing her mind of such thoughts. Her utmost priority was to get her mathematics grade up. Sensei had warned her that should her mathematics grades continue to drop as such she would be forced to quit gymnastics. With a "click" that sounded deafening in the silent hallways, Yuu opened the door and peeked in. In an instant, her eyes widened in shock as she stared dumbly at the male in front of her. Hibari, in all his glory, was calmly sited at the teacher's table, as though oblivious to the girl entering (although Yuu was much too aware that he did).

It was only when Yuu failed to move for a minute or two that he tilted his face up, fixing his cool gaze on her. Noticing his stare, Yuu bowed deeply, muttering an apology as she began shuffling out of the room. She must have misinterpreted Sensei's words wrongly. There was no way Sensei could have gotten Hibari to agree to tutor her. Only one person could make Hibari actually listen to what he said (though agreeing was another matter). Yet, judging from the absence of the gleam of mischief in his beady black eyes when he had greeted her this morning, Yuu did not believe Reborn had any part in the matter. Hence, with that reasoning in mind, the only conclusion that she could draw was that it had been a mistake on her part in failing to accurately comprehend Sensei's words. However, before she could leave, the grating sound of the metal legs of a chair against the tiled floor could be heard. Yuu wheeled around just in time to avoid a tonfa that sliced through the air.

"Hibari-sensei, I'm really sorry for -"

"For contributing to Namimori's low academic score, I'll bite you to death."

With that the prefect lunged as Yuu jumped to the side, a tonfa grazing the skin on her arm. Throwing a quick glance to the door, she realised the reason why Hibari had given her ample time to react before he had made his first move. His warning had given her time to avoid his tonfa by throwing her body away from the only source of escape, allowing him to seal her in. Casting a desperate look around the room, she quickly shifted her posture to prevent Hibari from noticing the injuries she had suffered from this morning's training. While getting constantly beaten up had somehow trained her body to heal amazingly fast, it had been less than eight hours since her sparring lesson and she was till very much aware of her injuries.

As her eyes landed on the table, she suddenly realised that Hibari had been looking at a Year 2 mathematics book. Swinging her gaze to Hibari, she gaped in horror, failing to notice the tiny smirk on his face as he watched her expression. Then, the prefect stood up straight from his offensive stance and stretched languidly, paying no heed to the female, much to her annoyance. His tonfas disappeared from somewhere in his jacket and he headed to the teacher's desk. Picking up a marker, he began writing a complex equation on the board. Yuu watched him warily the whole time, flinching when he motioned for her to attempt the question. Grabbing the needed materials from her bag, Yuu quickly copied the equation. She did not miss the look in his eyes that promised anguish should she fail to complete the task set for her.

Yet, after staring blankly for some time at the equation, her brain came up with naught. Nervously biting her bottom lip, she wrote down random information that she could process from the question in vain hopes that they would aid her in "seeing the light".

"Herbivore."

Startled, Yuu cast a guilty look at Hibari as he snatched the paper from her desk. The girl watched timorously as his brows furrowed, his jaw tightening in obvious irritation. At once, his tonfas made themselves known, narrowly missing the top of her head as he aimed a half-hearted swipe at her. Turning, he moved towards the board. As though sensing that his student's mind was still in the midst of figuring out his next attack, he aimed a well-practised glare at the girl.

"If you fail to understand this concept when I'm done, I'll bite you to death."

* * *

_Wow... _Yuu could feel a smile of accomplishment emerging though she fought to wipe it off her face, not wishing to anger the man in front of her. For the first time in her short life, she had finally understood this subject. Writing the answer down, she looked for the prefect, her joy causing her to lose her fear of Hibari. She almost wanted to hug him in gratitude for allowing her to finally understand mathematics_. Almost_, if not for her self-preservation senses that reminded her of the two tonfas he kept somewhere in his jacket.

It was only then that she realised that he had fallen asleep; his upper half sprawled out on the desk, his papers beside him. Yuu sighed, glancing at the clock. It was her fault he had to stay back so late and she could not help feeling bad at the thought of inconveniencing him. He was probably already very busy with his duties as Head of the disciplinary committee as can be seen by the stack of paperwork he had to do beside him and here she was causing him trouble. Yuu shook her head. Putting her things back in her bag, she glanced at the prefect one more time as an idea began to germinate. If... if she could help him lessen his burden, maybe just a little...

Yuu frowned, quietly placing her bag on the floor once more. She would probably get horribly punished for this but for now, she just wanted to return his favour. Silently moving towards the table, Yuu picked the stack of paper up. In a flash, she was back at her desk, letting out a shaky breath as she assured herself that the prefect was still in his peaceful slumber. Reading through the papers, she stifled a yawn. She had better hurry before the prefect woke up.

* * *

Hibari stared at the herbivore through semi-lidded eyes as she moved back to her desk. She was a fool if she thought he was still asleep after she had taken the papers from his table. If it had been anyone else, he would have probably promptly snapped their necks. Yet, he was curious as to what the herbivore was planning to do. She had always been strange, one of those few who were quite unpredictable though her actions were still completely herbivore-like. Now, the herbivore was writing down stuff on her paper. She had let her guard down too easily, he mused. Hiding a frown, his stares changed into glares as the thought of her copying his paperwork for whatever reason surfaced. Letting his face melt into a scowl, he straightened, noting with relish as the herbivore jerked her head towards him, her fear clearly visible.

"Herbivore. Hand me the paper…"

Hibari watched as the herbivore nodded. Snatching the paper from her fingers, his eyes swiftly scanned through its contents - a summary of the paper work.

"These are confidential materials. Does who threaten the security of Namimori will be bitten -"

"Huh?"

Hibari frowned. Was she trying to act clueless? Tightening his grip on his tonfas, he growled. He was going to bite -

"I was only trying to help, Hibari-sensei."

Help? Hibari's eyes flashed, his irritation surging. He did not need help. Especially not from a herbivore. Aiming a glare at the herbivore, he tore the paper into two, taking care to throw it into the trashcan.

"I don't need your help."

With that, Hibari turned to head out of the door when a voice made him pause.

" You're angry.."

Hibari glared at the door, silently fuming. Was that girl mentally challenged?

" I'm sorry. I was only trying to lessen your bur ... I wasn't just helping you by doing that."

Hibari raised his eyebrow. A part of him briefly thought of walking out and leaving the herbivore to her ranting. Yet, he was curious to hear the rest of her reasoning. He wanted to see how far she could carry that lie of hers.

"I was feeling bad, that was all. I only did that to make myself feel better."

The prefect's eyes flashed. Was she trying to use reverse pyschology on him?

"I didn't want to owe you any favours."

With that, Hibari froze. He knew what she was doing. She had intended to make him empathise with her. Yet, what had made him pause was the fact that he could empathise. That thought made him stop. Silence filled the air for a moment. Then, Hibari frowned. He knew what was wrong. He needed to end this, whatever it was, now.

* * *

Reborn regarded the male thoughtfully. He had not expected this. From his sources, the two had been getting closer, very much like he hoped for. He had known that given Hibari's personality, the cloud guardian would have attempted to distance himself. Yet, it was unexpected that he had suddenly chosen to back out of their agreement. To Hibari's pride, backing out was a sign of cowardice. For him to resort to something like that, meant that there had been something he was unaware of that had happened between the two.

"I did not come here to persuade you. I was informing you."

The acrobaleno frowned, watching Hibari leave. He thought of stopping him but decided against it. For now, he needed to find the reason behind Hibari's reason.

* * *

**Firstly, to avoid confusion, Yuu does have an IQ of 160. I apologise for the uncertainty it might have evoked. There are nine different types of intelligence and Yuu is just not a logical-mathematics type. Secondly, I have a few questions to ask. 1. Should Hibari and Yuu have a relationship in the past (meaning that they were friends when young)? 2. What should Hibari wear out (other than his school uniform for reasons that will be revealed to you later) ? I hope those who are reading my story will answer so that I will be able to churn out a story to your liking. If there are any differences in the replies, I will be going by a majority to decided which should be placed in my story :) **

**I apologise for any grammatical or spelling errors. I really appreciate MikaUchiha666, Gwenny-Dear and Chocolate Ribbons for commenting. Please comment and review. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hostility

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR**

Yuu surveyed the empty rooftop. Her eyes flickered back to the white watch she wore on her wrist as a frown adorned her face. Class were starting in five minutes. It was not like Hibari to be so late. Moving over to a raised portion of the the rooftop, she sat down, her eyes never leaving the door. An irrational fear crept into her mind and Yuu soon found herself considering the possibility of Hibari being injured. With his bloodthirsty personality, it seemed impossible that he would voluntarily forgo a chance to fight. Yuu stood up as an uncomfortable feeling bubbled in the pits of her stomach. Hibari had no lack of enemies and she knew, from prior experience, that some of them were foolish enough to attempt revenge. Biting her bottom lip, she began pacing around. If it was true that Hibari was injured, he would have to be somewhere near the school, since it was most probable that Hibari had been on the way to school when the attack happened. If it had been the night before, it would have been over the news or Hibari would have simply recovered with his super-human healing speed. Yuu closed her eyes. No delinquent who had managed to injure Hibari would have been foolish enough to attack in an open area where Hibari could have easily gotten back-up from one of his prefects. It would have to have been in an alley, or at least somewhere obscured by buildings or trees.

The girl frowned, her mind easily conjuring up a mental image of the vicinity of the school. Swiftly eliminating those that would have too many witnesses, she decided on two spots, the backlane just behind the school and the alley next to factories. If it had been her, she would have chosen either of these places too. They were perfect. No one really ventured there due to certain rumours and myths about the places being haunted. Besides the structure of the buildings surrounding them ensured that most sounds were sealed in. Yuu glanced at her watch once more. Hibari was going to kill her for skipping school even if it was for his sake. Sighing, she picked up her discarded bag before dashing down the stairs. Even so, how could she leave a friend behind?

Yuu eyed the prefects at the school gate. It seems Hibari was really injured. There was no way his love for Namimori would allow him to stop his prefectorial duties for anything minor. Frowning, the girl pulled out her cell phone. She needed to get out of the school. However, her plans were promptly put to a halt as Kusakabe appeared. Yuu glared at him from her perch. Her plan would not work with him around. As the vice-head, Yuu doubted he would fall for her trick. Glancing around, she tried to find something that could be of use to her. Then, she froze. With her distinctive hair colour, moving would allow her to be spotted easily. Yuu chanced a glance at the vice- head. Sure enough, he was heading towards her, a stern expression on his face. Resisting the urge to slap herself for making such a dumb mistake, she bit her bottom lip, considering her options.

As Kusakabe stood in front of her, arms akimbo, Yuu felt her mouth do dry. It was too late to regret her decision to stay now. Jumping down from her perch, she bowed in greeting.

"Kawasumi, I belive you should be in class?"

Yuu glanced up at the prefect before nodding.

"Kusakabe-san, have you seen Hibari-senpai today?"

The girl grimanced as she watched confusion flicker on said male's face. She could not blame him. It was not everyday that a student caught breaking the rules of Namimori asked for the feared Head Prefect. Squirming uncomfortably under Kusakabe's gaze, she waited patiently for the shock to dissapear.

"Kawasumi, what are you getting at?"

"Erm..." Yuu looked at her feet, stalling for time. She did not want to tell Kusakabe about her suspicions. Somehow, she doubted Hibari would have been pleased if she mentioned his moment of weakness in front of his followers. To her relief, Kusakabe seemed to notice her reluctance and changed his tone.

"Kawasumi, I have in fact seen Hibari-san. But -"

"You have? Was there anything ... out of the ordinary with him?"

Kusakabe frowned, eyeing the girl warily. Yuu ducked her head, trying her best to potray a guiless look. At times like this, she was almost glad for her childish features and slight frame. As distasteful as it may sound, it gave her an advantage over the whole "I'm innocent" business.

"Kawasumi, I assure you thar Hibari-san is absolutely fine. If I were you, I would be worrying about my - "

"He's fine?"

Despite knowing how rude it was to interrupt, Yuu could not help herself. She gaped incredulously at Kusakabe for a split second before she smoothed her features. There was something amiss. While Yuu knew that it was within Hibari's personality to hide his weaknesses from everyone, she doubted his vice-head would fail to notice Hibari's injury. That guy almost worshipped the ground the Head Prefect walked on. Glancing at the troubled face of Kusakabe ( who was beginning to worry for his Head Prefect), she faked a smile.

"I'm sorry, Kusakabe-san. I must have been mistaken. I apologise for heading to class late."

Yuu watched as Kusakabe frowned, suspicious at her sudden change of mood. Then, he nodded stoically and handed her a ticket.

"Don't be late again, Kawasumi."

The girl nodded. If Hibari was fine... Yuu frowned. She needed to find the Head Prefect during her break. Turning to the direction of her class, it was then Yuu noticed a small figure in the box where the fire extinguishers were placed.

"Reborn-chan, pardon me for being rude, but what are you doing in there?"

The hitman merely smiled.

"Ciaossu."

Muttering a weak "hello", Yuu stared at Reborn. If there was anyone who knew what happened to Hibari, it would be this baby. Opening her mouth to speak, she was promptly cut off by Reborn.

"Do you know Dino of the Chiavarone family?"

Yuu shook her head. She was new to this mafia thing. In fact, the only family she knew about were the Vongolas.

"He'll be your new teacher."

* * *

At lunchtime, Yuu found herself on the rooftop. Disappointment washed over her as she realised that he was not here. She wanted to talk to him, at least apologise if she had done anything that had made him choose to quit teaching her. The girl bit her bottom lip. The extent of her disappointment upon finding out the Hibari had just left his position was surprising. Hunching her shoulders, the girl cast a glance around the rooftop as though hoping that he would magically appear. She had thought they were at least aquaintances. Could he not have given her an opportunity to atone her mistake? Frowning, the girl began trudging down the stairs. She could try thr prefecture room again...

At that moment, a familiar figure rounded the corner. Yuu's eyes widened as Hibari paused in his tracks, glaring at her. Then, as easily as he had quit his position as her teacher, he blotted out her existence. The girl watched as Hibari continued to make his way on the rooftop. She would be lying if she had denied feeling hurt at how carelessly he had brushed her off. Then, she rushed after him.

"Hibari-sensei."

Hibari walked on resolutely, ignoring the girl. Yuu quickened her speed, hoping fervently that Hibari's childish game of ignoring her would force him to maintain his current speed.

"Hibari-sensei, I'm sorry. I apologise if I have angered you."

Running in an effort to keep up with Hibari's long strides, Yuu attempted an awkward bow. Yet, he continued to walk on. The girl gradually came to a stop, her eyes following him to his favourite spot of the rooftop. She needed a plan if she was going to mak

* * *

The next day, the girl stood alone on the rooftop. For once, she was glad for Hibari's strict rules for Namimori. While she acknowledged that her knowledge of his character was limited, Yuu doubted that her plan would go wrong. His love for rules and orderliness was too prominent for her to misjudge them. Yuu sighed, glancing at her watch. She was not one of manipulation but this was the only chance at getting Hibari back as her teacher. His methods were unothordox and painful, but they were effective. Besides, she could not help but feel as though she was about to lose a friend if Hibari was to continue insisting his reluctance on being her teacher. Yuu bit her bottom lip, surveying Namimori. She hoped she was not being selfish by doing so. Glancing at her watch, she frowned. It was too late for regrets. If he remained firm in his decision, she would not pester him anymore.

* * *

Hibari headed towards his prefecture room, a scowl on his face. It was the fault of that herbivore. Furiously, swinging the door open, he entered the room. He had gotten so accustomed to waking up an hour earlier to bite her to death that his body had refused to allow him to sleep in even though he no longer had the need to do so. Glancing at the clock, he frowned. Usually, he would have been biting her to death now. He could not deny that sparring with her was interesting, which fuelled his irritation. It was rare to find anyone who could at least resist his attempts to bite her to death, initially only , of course. Hibari growled. That herbivore just had to ruin his enjoyment of biting her to death by refusing to get out of his mind.

Furiously snatching the first sheet of paper of the stack on his table, he stilled as he read the name.

_Kawasumi Yuu _

Hibari frowned. Swiftly scanning through the contents, he was about to dispose of her math test paper (which she surprisingly aced despite her inadequentcy in his lessons) when his phone rang. The prefect reached for his phone. There was only one person who would call him at this ungodly hour in the morning. Mentally preparing himself for a piercing voice, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

* * *

Yuu glanced at the door anxiously as minutes ticked past. Then, the door knob turned. Yuu held her breath, as the door swung open.

"Herbivore, come to school tomorrow, 5.00pm."

* * *

**First things first, I'm really sorry for posting this up so late so as an apology I'll post the next chapter up tomorrow. Really really sorry... I know that my chapters have been quite dull recently. Even I get bored reading them, so the next chapter will include Hibari's parents for something a little more interesting. Back to the story... At this point in time, Yuu kind of regards Hibari as a friend. And even though Hibari is always referring to her as a sparring partner, he's actually getting closer to Yuu ( though he denies it.). Anyways, thank you to MikaUchiha666, Lolafan ( for commenting three times and helping me find the picture of cords), Raven T, Oneday4u, KhAel and Chocolate Ribbons. I apologise for the very overdue replies I gave and for any spelling/ grammatical error. **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Meeting the parents

**Disclaimer : I do not own KHR**

"Repeat all that you just said to me."

Yuu massaged her temples with the tips of her fingers, ignoring the disgruntled groan that came from Hibari. It was partially, no, mostly his fault that they were in this predicament. The girl sighed. She should have known that there was something amiss when Hibari had changed his mind so quickly. Frowning, she glanced at Hibari. Sometimes, she wondered what went on in his mind. If they wanted to pull this trick of his off, they needed a whole lot more time. There was so much she needed to prepare, so much she needed to know about him. He could have at least allowed her to mentally prepare herself. This was simply too hasty. If his parents were anything like Hibari, she was going to have a very hard time convincing them.

Taking a deep breath, she cast her feelings of discontentment to a side. Sulking time was over. She needed to get to work. Turning to Hibari, she studied his attire. Black pants and a white dress shirt. Yuu heaved a mental sigh of relief. No jacket. That was good news. It meant that the pleace they were going to probably did not need them to be formally dressed. Probably because Hibari seemed like the kind that would disregard the rules though he clearly hated it when people broke his. Looking down at her attire, she was glad that she had brought another set of attire that could pass off as smart casual. With the expectation that he had demanded this meeting to fight, she had donned a comfortable tracksuit attire. It was on a sudden whim that she had brought a dress and ballet flats just in case her clothes failed to survive her encounter with Hibari.

"Hibari - "

"Kyouya"

Yuu stared blankly at him. With a roll of his eyes, he replied her silent question.

" I highly doubt that any couple would call their boyfriend by their last name."

Yuu nodded.

"Kyouya...kun, how long do we have?"

"An hour."

* * *

Hibari aimed a half-hearted glare at the fidgeting herbivore beside him. She was on tiptoes, craning her neck to see pass the throngs of people exiting the arrival hall. She was being unduly nervous. Hibari hid a slight smirk. Strangely, it was almost amusing, something he attributed to his boredom. She had nothing to fear from his parents. They were... very much different from him. Frowning, he reached up to mess up the mop of hair on his head. Hopefully, his mother would be too distracted with the "thing" he brought along with him to fuss about his hair. Casting a sideway glance at the herbivore, he briefly wondered why he had even chosen her to play "date" with him. It made sense, of course. She was the only girl he knew. He could not possibly get Kusakabe to cross dress could he? Yet, he could not help the uncomfortable feeling that there was something more to his decision which irked him. However, his train of thoughts were promptly cut off by the same herbivore that irritated him.

"Kyouya-kun, is that them?"

Hibari frowned, not even bothering to affirm her question. She was smart enough, and his details specific enough. Turning his attention to something more important at that moment, he eyed his hand, which was wrapped around that herbivore's. Almost instantaenously, he flinched, pulling his hand away from her. Not a moment later, a piercing cry sounded.

"Kyou!"

* * *

"Kyou!"

Yuu's eyes widened as an immaculately dressed woman ran towards Hibari in her five-inch stilettos. Engulfing him in a hug, the woman pratically squealed in delight. Yuu took the moment to study the woman. She was different from what she had expected. She had the same pale skin as Hibari (who was standing rigid in her hug) and her eyes the similar shade of metallic blue. Yet, those features were considerably soften by the childish twinkle in her eyes and the air of naivety around her. Biting her bottom lip, Yuu studied the muscles on her arms. They were toned, giving her a lithe frame very much like that of a martial artist. Yuu gulped. As innocent as she looked, Hibari's mother was a force to be reckoned with if she ever had to fight with her. Yuu shifted her attention to Hibari's father, who was standing to the side, a thoughtful smile on his face. He looked to be in his forties, donning a toffee coloured shirt and white cords. All of a sudden his dark eyes snapped up and locked onto her. Yuu offered a tentative smile as the man's smile widened.

"Honey, I think you're neglecting a very important friend of Kyouya."

At once, Hibari's mother's eyes landed on Yuu and lighted up at once. Yuu soon found herself engulfed in a hug.

"Kyou. You never told me you had such a cute friend."

Yuu struggled slightly in her grasp, not wanting to appear rude. Thankfully, Hibari decided to play the "knight" at the moment and tore her away from his mother. Hibari's mother pouted and Yuu could almost imagine her stomping her feet. Then she turned to Yuu and grinned.

"Forgive KYou for being the uncivilised pig that he is. Call me Mama. How do I address you?"

"Er.." Yuu paused, taking a moment to compose herself to prevent laughing out loud upon Hibari called a pig. "Yuu."

The woman nodded, before dragging Yuu towards the exit. It was only when Mama pulled her into a car did she realise that there was no luggage with them.

"Mama, don't you have any luggage?"

The older woman laughed lightly.

"Let the guys do the hard work."

Tilting her head, she regarded Yuu for a moment before grinning impishly.

"Unless you can't bear for Kyou to suffer..." Feigning a sigh, she turned to where Kyouya was with the luggage.

"Kyou! Your girlfriend -"

"Mama!"

A flustered Yuu quickly cut her off. This was going to be tough...

* * *

Upon reaching the restaurant, Mama immediately threw Yuu together with Hibari. Yuu blushed and looked down at the plate in front of her. Hibari seemed colder for no apparent reason. Not that she really bothered, of course. She was merely worried that their bluff would not pull through... Yuu glanced at Hibari who was currently staring stoically at thin air. At least he had been nice enough to save from his mother. Yuu did like her. It was just that she tended to be a little too overwhelming. A waiter entered the room, bowing before her.

"Excuse me, would you like to order something?"

Yuu turned to face the waiter, mentally slapping herself. She was becoming increasingly unobservant with Hibari around.

"Kyou, I thought I taught you better manners. Shouldn't you be asking your date what she would like?"

"Herbivore, choose something."

Yuu shuddered at Hibari's cold tone. Frowning, she turned to him. How could he have called her that in front of his parents? It would almost certainly blow their cover. As though sealing her doubts, Mama immediately protested.

"Kyou-"

"She's vegetarian."

This time, it was Yuu's turn to look shocked. She had not placed that information in her school portfolio. Eyeing Hibari suspiciously, she resisted the temptation to question just how much he knew about her. He had obviously came prepared.

As the dinner ended, Mama glanced at Yuu.

"Yuu-chan, did you enjoy your dinner?"

Yuu nodded, smiling.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I enjoyed it very much."

Mama smiled leaning forward before stating in mock whisper.

"If you like it, we can arrange for it to cater for your wedding with Hibari."

Yuu froze, casting a worried glance at Hibari.

"Honey -"

Before Hibari's father could cast a meaninful glance at Mama, Hibari stood up, dragging Yuu along with him.

"We're going to the rooftop."

* * *

Yuu stared at the orange sky. The view here was beautiful, casting a warm glow over everything. The girl turned to Hibari. He really had a thing for rooftops. Yuu was about to thank him for bringing her here when he spoke.

"Herbivore, let's play a game."

Yuu froze. That did not sound good.

"If you wake me up when I'm sleeping, I'll bite you to death."

* * *

**Well, I hope that was fun for you guys. For those who have no idea what cords are take a look at the reviews. LolaFan had found a link with the picture of one (thanks very much). So anyway, the next chapter will have Hibari in casual clothing. Thank you to Chocolate Ribbons, MikaUchiha666 and smiley-marmalade. Forgive me for any grammatical or spelling errors:) Okay, anyway,does anyone know why I can't reply to the comments? The link it brings me to simply says, that the site I am assessing has an outdated link. Any idea what that means? Anyway, I'm really sorry I can't reply to all your comments. I know I haven't replied the comments for chapter 10 even. If this thing won't allow me to reply to your comments, I'll type out my replies here the next chapter :) Thanks... **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Play Dates

**Disclaimer : I do not own KHR **

"Yuu-chan, are you at home?"

Yuu frowned, straigthening from her stretches. She had been in the middle of practising a new routine for gymnastics when the enthusiastic knocking had begun. Tightening her ponytail, she walked towards the wooden door. She knew that voice; it was impossible to forget the cadence and voice patterns of one she had conversed with just last night. Bracing herself, she opened the door only to be engulfed in a crushing hug.

"Yuu-chan, Mama's here to see you! Kyou was being a total pig today and refused to give me your address."

With that, Mama glared at the offending male and stuck her tongue out at him, causing Hibari to roll his eyes.

"Yuu-chan, its going to be great when Kyou and you finally get married. I'll have one more person to gang up against him!"

Yuu smiled, nodding slightly. Somehow, she doubted Hibari would be the one getting bullied if she were to attempt to "gang up" against him. His patience extended only to his family, after all. Pulling away from Mama, she studied the lady. Mama was dressed in her usual girlish way with a simple white dress and her tresses done up in romantic curls. Sighing enviously, her hand unconsiously reached up to toy with her own curls which were currently matted with perspiration. Yuu grimanced, hurriedly letting her hand drop to her side. Hibari had obviously inherited his ability to look immaculate and poised from his parents. In comparison, Yuu felt downright disgusting. Even though she hardly ever obsessed over her looks, the girl could feel an embarrassed blush colouring her cheeks as she stared down at her own attire - a black tracksuit.

"Yuu-chan?"

Yuu glanced up, the voice snapping her out of her shallow moment of self-despise.

"Sorry, Mama. Would you like to come in?"

At once, Mama's eyes lit up. Eagerly ridding herself of her stilettos, the woman stepped into the house, her metallic blue orbs widening as they surveyed her home. Hibari's father followed her as he bowed his head slightly in greeting before moving towards his wife. Yuu could not help her wistful smile as she watched the two. They were so different yet it was obvious that they complemented one another. It would have been a torture for both if Hibari's father had been as talkative as Mama or if Mama was as quiet as Hibari's father.

Turning to the last visitor, her smile gradually disapeared under said male's irritated glare. It was hard to believe that someone as easily annoyed as Hibari was the son of two easy-going and friendly people. Yuu briefly wondered if Hibari had turned out the way he is after being spoilt rotten by his parents. He did seem to want his way most of the time. Together with his petulance and constant use of violence to get his way, it pretty much sumed up the characteristics of a brat. Yuu allowed herself a small snicker before a look from Hibari silenced her. Blushing guiltily, Yuu muttered a low "sorry" to him, much to Hibari's puzzlement though he nodded and accepted it.

It was only then did Yuu take a look at his attire and immediately did a double-take. For what seemed like the first time in his life (if the uncomfortable expression on his face was anything to judge by) Hibari was dressed in something remotely casual. Yuu gave him a small smile as she took in his short-sleeved button-down shirt. It was black, the same with his jeans though the latter had a blue tinge to it. Yuu's smile widened. He had obviously been dressed by his mother... not that he looked bad in it or anything. It was just so unexpected for him to be dressed that casually.

"Yuu-chan, do you have any plans for today?"

Yuu turned to Mama, before shaking her head. She usually stayed at home during the weekends.

"Oh!" Mama frowned before she smacked her forehead with a palm. Yuu gulped as Mama turned towards her, a glint in her eyes.

"You must have been waiting for Kyou to take you on a date!"

Yuu smiled at Mama, choosing to remain silent. The lesser information she revealed, the lesser chance she had to mess this whole thing up. To her relief, Mama did not wait for her confirmation as she continued the conversation.

"Yuu-chan, I have a couple of tickets here to the play Pride and Prejudice. Would you like to come? I even prepared a dress for you!"

Mama immediately snatched the bag that Hibari's father had been holding. Pulling a dress out, she held it against Yuu's frame critically before smiling.

"I knew it would fit you."

Then she leaned over to whisper in Yuu's ear.

"Yuu-chan, Kyou won't be able to take his eyes off you!"

The girl blushed as Mama released her. Thrusting the dress into Yuu's hands, Mama began pushing her towards her room.

"Go, get ready. I'll be here to restrain Kyou just in case his teenage hormones cause him to try and take a peek."

* * *

Hibari frowned irritatably at his mother as she placed that herbivore beside him. Aiming a glare at that herbivore, he studied her. That dress was ridiculous. How was anyone suposed to fight in something like that ? The herbivore obviously loved it though. Hibari rolled his eyes. His mother was a bad influence on the herbivore. The skylark sighed as he found another reason that made him question his sanity when he had asked the herbivore to act with him. He should have chosen someone he could have easily terrify then dump her back to wherever he had picked her up from when the whole thing was over. Now, he was stuck with the possibility that his "student" (Hibari's lips curled into a predatory smile) would become some wimpy girl who only cared about her nails or something after his mother was done with her.

Hibari's eyes darkened as he made a mental note to keep his mother away from that herbivore. She was the one of the only herbivores that were almost capable of becoming a carnivore. In other words, too interesting for his mother to take away and play dress-up with. It would be troublesome to have to find another "student" that had the same potential as her or the same determination or stupidity that kept her coming back to him.

The lights began to darken as the voice of the narrator flowed over the theatre. Hibari sighed as the herbivore leaned forward in her seat excitedly. The enthusiasm reminded him too much of his mother. Reclining into his chair, he watched with barely concealed boredom as the actors entered the stage. He had read the book once and thoroughly hated it. In fact he would not have read it if it were not for the fact that it had been his english literature book and he did not wish to have bad grades that would affect the overall grade of Namimori. To say that he could not understand the actions of the characters was an understatement. They were far too obsessed with that herbivore emotion called love. Then again, if he had any say in the actions of the characters, Elizabeth would have bitten Mr Darcy to death when he had first insulted her or Mr. Darcy would have bitten everyone in the ballroom to death for crowding.

A gasp from his side made him turn his attention to the herbivore beside him. Hibari smirked. It was hard to believe that his parents actually bought his lie about that herbivore. He would never have dated someone who liked romantic novels. The skylark silently scoffed. She would probably expect him to show up in the dead of the night holding roses and serenading her. Hibari frowned as he shifted his body away from the herbivore. Yet, he knew that his father had been watching that herbivore very closely last night, which was why he had dragged her onto that roof. His father was sharp. The further that herbivore stayed from him the better chance he had of pulling off this bluff. Closing his eyes, Hibari thought back to this morning's visit. That slightly suspicious look on his father had not made its appearance, something which puzzled him. There must have been something in her that made him believe that she was actually dating his son.

"Psss..."

Hibari turned his head, his eyes landing on the culprit of the noise.

"Kyou."

His mother whispered as she pursed her lips at him before pointing to the herbivore beside him. Hibari frowned, his hands instinctively moving down to grab his tonfas only to meet thin air. Gritting his teeth, he aimed a vicious glare at the person who would have been the hapless recipient of the ends of his tonfas if they had not been unceremoniously taken away from him. It was her fault. It made no sense why he could not have brought his tonfas together with him to watch the play. People in Namimori feared him enough. They would not have dared to stop him from being his weapons in. Curling his fist into tight balls, he eyed the woman as she continued her annoying actions. It was killing him not to kill his mother.

Baring his teeth at her, his patience snapped when the woman stuck his tongue out at him like a three-year old. His fist immediately shot up to hit her, tonfa or not when another hand swiftly caught his forearm and forced it down at his side. Hibari glared at his father as said male held his son's forearm in a vice-like grip. Growling, the self-proclaimed carnivore attempted to wrestle his arm away to no avail yet the older male's expression hardly changed, his eyes fixed on the stage as though nothing had happened. Gritting his teeth, Hibari forced himself to lean back into his chair to block out his mother to calm his homicidal tendencies. After a while, the male managed to force the muscles in his arm to relax. Almost immediately, the hand released his forearm as his father turned to smile calmly at him. Hibari turned his head away, fuming silently. It was annoying when one of the few strong enough to outfight you were your parents. Then again, they had been the ones to train him before he decided to train on his own.

Turning his attention to the play, he was mildly surprised to find that it was almost ending. The applause when it finally came was loud and enthusiastic though Hibari, having missed most of it, did not join in. Rolling his eyes, he watched as his mother stormed over to him.

"Kyou! How could you!"

Hibari rolled his eyes, staring at the high ceiling of the theatre for much needed patience. His mother would have been embarrassed to have yelled in public if the applause did not cover her loud volume. Tilting her head up to look into her son's eyes, the woman glared at him furiously. Hibari turned to notice the herbivore's attention on them. A smirk came onto his face. At least she was good for sparing his ears from the screaming he was about to recieve...

"Mama ? Did you not enjoy the play?"

Hibari watched as his mother quickly hid her anger, her affectionate side coming out as she spoke to the herbivore.

"Of course, Yuu-chan. It's just saddening when you realise your only child is a coward."

Hibari growled softly. His mother was pushing her luck. The male clenched his fist. It was a good thing that at that moment the herbivore decided to speak up, providing him with a distraction before he snapped.

"But Hi- Kyouya isn't a coward."

Hibari's eyes landed on the herbivore. She was frowning as though confused. Then, her eyes lit up as she smiled at his mother.

"Mama, Kyouya once took on a whole gang of guys and..."

Hibari glanced at the herbivore. Was she an idiot? Those guys were second-rate herbivores. That was not courage, it had been the knowledge that he could have bitten them to death easily.

"he is the most respected person in Namimori."

Hibari raised an eyebrow. Respect? It was fear that the people in Namimori felt towards him. The skylark was about to scoff at her reply when a thought stopped him. Did that mean she felt respect for him? Hibari eyed the herbivore warily for a moment then he froze. It did not matter what she thought of him. She was merely a herbivore.

* * *

" and... he is the most respected person in Namimori."

Yuu blurted out. For some reason or another Mama was upset with Hibari and she hoped to end their argument soon. Knowing the behaviour of Mama and Hibari, both will be unwilling to back down. As it was, Hibari and Mama were currently engaged in a glaring battle. Yuu sighed and turned around, trying to find Hibari's father. He was probably the mediator in the family. It was strange that he was so far away fr-

Yuu froze. At once, her brain began to pump out various ways she could get out of the impending situation. It was useless to hide when he had already spotted her. Yuu cast a glance at Hibari and Mama. Knowing Mama, she would immediately introduce herself to Yuu's friend and her act would be over. Taking a deep breath, Yuu marched up to Sasagawa Ryohei.

"KAWASUMI-CHAN, HELLO TO THE EXTREME!"

Yuu flinched at his loud tone before she grinned nervously. It was impossible for Mama not to hear such a loud greeting. Gripping him by his elbow, she led Ryohei away from the two people she was trying to avoid him from meeting.

"Hello, Sasagawa-san. Sorry, do you mind following me for a second?"

As she brought Ryohei away, she could hear Mama calling out to her.

"Yuu-chan? Who is that friend with you? "

"KAWASUMI-CHAN, THAT WOMAN OVER THERE IS CALLING YOU TO THE EXTREME."

Yuu nodded absent mindedly, weaving through the crowd in hopes of losing Mama.

"KAWASUMI-CHAN!"

Yuu frowned as Ryohei pulled her to a stop.

"kAWASUMI-CHAN, YOUR SPEED IS TO THE EXTREME. JOIN THE BOXING CLUB -"

"Yuu-chan, who is that?"

Yuu sighed as Mama gripped her arm tightly while glaring daggers at Ryohei.

"SASAGAWA RYOHEI TO THE EXTREME!"

With that, Ryohei punched the air enthusiastically. Yuu shuffled her feet as Mama alternated between staring at her and Ryohei. Then, determination filled her eyes and she spoke.

"Hello, I'm Kyou's mother."

Mama pointed at where Hibari was before sighing.

"Wait here,please."

In a flash, Mama vanished in the crowd. Yuu glanced up at Ryohei. If she had the time to -

"Here's Kyou."

A disgruntled-looking Hibari was pushed towards Ryohei.

"HIBARI-SAN, NICE TO MEET YOU TO THE EXTREME!"

Yuu cringed as Hibari gace Ryohei a glare before looking off into a distance. It was obvious he was embarrassed. In fact, he was embarrassed and irritated, a horrible combination in Yuu's opinion. The girl turned her attention to Mama who was staring at Hibari with equal ire. Yuu gulped.

"Mama -"

"Kyou! Why aren't you doing anything to the guy who just snatched your girlfriend away ?"

Yuu stiffened as Ryohei's eyes widened.

"WHAT ?"

* * *

**So now Ryohei thinks that Yuu and Hibari are dating :) I hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter. Forgive if any of the characters were OOC or if there were any grammatical/spelling errors. Thank you to Chocolate Ribbons, MikaUchiha666 and Deyoki and reviewing :) Please comment and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Empathy**

**Disclaimer : I do not own KHR**

* * *

Yuu gripped her bag tightly as she walked past the school gates. She needed to find Ryohei so as to ensure that her secret be kept. The girl made a sharp turn, heading straight to where the boxing club had their regular meetings. If her memory served, Kyoko had often mentioned her brother's passion for boxing. Hopefully, Ryohei would show up here before school started. Otherwise, she would have skipped Hibari's sparring lessons for nothing. The messy note she had slipped onto the disciplinary room would not be enough to please that prefect.

Yuu frowned, biting her bottom lip. She was going to need a good excuse if she wanted to escape from this situation with minor injuries.

"KAWAUMI-CHAN!"

Said girl flinched, the loud greeting shocking her out of her thoughts.

"Morning, Sasagawa-San."

Ryohei grinned and proceeded to punch at the air.

"KAWASUMI-CHAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING EXTREME TO DO HERE?"

Yuu smiled, nodding mutely.

"Sasagawa-San, I was wondering if you could keep the thing from last night a secret."

The girl glanced outside and grimaced. The other members of the boxing club and several students were already appearing. Turning a worried glance at Ryohei, she waited as the boy frowned, obviously searching his memory. Then, his eyes brightened.

DON'T WORRY TO THE EXTREME KAWASUMI-CHAN."

Yuu smiled, relief coursing through her.

"YOU HAVE MY EXTREME PROMISE. NO ONE WILL KNOW ABOUT HIBARI AND YOU'RE EXTREME DATES!"

The girl froze. Almost at once, the students outside turned to face her. Then the shock wore off and the whispers escalated.

"Did you hear that?"

"I can't believe Hibari-San is dating."

"Who is that girl?"

The girl slapped her forehead and sighed. Hibari was going to kill her. To the extreme.

By lunch it seemed like everyone had heard of it. Yuu mentally grimaced as yet another student bowed deeply in front of her, apologizing profusely for not making way for "Kawasumi-San". She had given up trying to reassure the flustered students that she was not offended in anyway. The first had fainted from fright as soon as she said her name and the second wet his pants. Nodding vaguely in his direction, Yuu edged away from him. It seemed that only by ignoring them could they be convinced that she had no intention of harming them. Sure enough, the student immediately took the chance and dashed away from the non-existent threat known as Yuu or more recently Hibari's GIRLFRIEND. The blonde trudged on warily.

Even though her friends did not view her with prejudice after their initial shock (Tsuna had fainted; Kyoko wanted to know the details, Hana nodded and proclaimed that he was probably the most mature guy in the school; Yamamoto grinned and congratulated her on making friends with Hibari and Gokudera was too worried about Tsuna to comment), everyone in class had. Yet, what hurt her the most was that the fear evoked within her fellow students were a result of the misunderstanding between Rei and her. Upon hearing the false rumour that Yuu was now dating Hibari, the girl had formed the conclusion that Yuu had played a part in encouraging Hibari to show his displeasure about her love letter. Subsequently, this belief found itself whispered between students till it was hardly recognizable from the truth.

Yuu turned and slowly headed upstairs. She must not be selfish. If she continued to mix with Hana and Kyoko, there was no doubt her notoriety would affect them too. A burst of sunlight caused her eyes to squint as she entered the rooftop. The girl moved to a sunny spot on the roof and began unpacking her lunch. Hopefully, the rumour would die down in the next few weeks. She didn't know how much longer her lie to Kyoko and Hana could last.

_"Would you mind if we sat here?"_

_Yuu bowed to the group of girls that were huddled together at one corner of the class. At once, their chatter died down. The blonde froze, her eyes darting to every face in the group. Rei. The girl sat in the centre of the crowd, her head bowed. It seems she had heard of it too. She was dimly aware of Hana moving protectively in front of her as though her presence could block the frosty atmosphere that was aimed at Yuu. Then one of the girls nodded cautiously._

_"Of course, Kawasumi-san. We're sorry for taking up this space."_

_The crowd of girl stood up simultaneously._

_"Rei..."_

_Yuu copied their actions. Ever since Rei had returned to class, she had avoided Yuu like plague, even going as far as to quit the Gymnastic team. The blonde eyed her friend sadly as she continued on her way as though oblivious to Yuu's voice._

_"Please stop. You don't have to move. We could eat together... Like always?"_

_The crowd paused._

_"Of course... Kawasumi-San."_

_Yuu nodded gratefully. Maybe if she could treat them the same as she usually did, they would see that she was still the same._

_"Kawasumi-San."_

_Said girl glanced up, startled by the frosty tone in that familiar voice. Hurt pricked at her as she met Rei's cold eyes._

_"Can't you see that everyone here is frightened by you?"_

_The words were uttered so softly, Yuu almost missed them. Yet, in the split second she grasped them, she wished she had not. The girl shook her head. It was futile. Rei's words had confirmed her suspicion. It would have been dumb to ask "why". She had finally come to terms with it. This was the revenge that Rei sought, the scapegoat she needed. Yuu lips tugged up in amusement, though she felt no joy. She should have known this would have happened. The awkward silence, the suddenly cold atmosphere during her visits to the hospital to see Rei. She should have known that this was what it would have amounted to. And in a way, she did know._

_"I'm sorry."_

_The words tumbled out of her lips in a clumsy apology. There was no doubt that her apology would be taken as an admission to Rei's rumours. Let them think what they want to with those two words, the hardened part of her scoffed. Her apology was for Rei, for breaking her unspoken promise to protect her from Hibari. Then Yuu picked her bento up, turned and left._

_The harsh squeal of chair against the tiled floor reverberated around the silent classroom. Yuu hurried ahead, hoping to deter Kyoko and Hana from following her. Her tears were threatening to fall._

_"Yuu-chan, wait."_

_A small hand clasped her shoulder, forcing her to come to a halt. Taking a deep breath, the girl plastered an inquisitive look on her face._

_"Kyoko-chan, Hana-chan, why did you come out for?"_

_Kyoko eyed her worriedly._

_"Are you alright, Yuu-chan?"_

_Yuu smiled, nodding cheerily. Don't you dare cry now, Yuu..._

_"I'm fine."_

_Kyoko nodded, relief evident on her face. The blonde smiled, thanking her lucky stars for her friend's gullibility. Hana, though, remained sceptical. Yuu let out an inaudible sigh, she might as well milk the rumour of her dating Hibari for all it was worth. Holding her breath to the count of ten to make her cheeks flushed, Yuu attempted a bashful smile._

_"I was actually thinking of meeting Hibari for a while during lunch."_

_Completing her words with a giggle, Yuu added a "You won't tell anyone will you?" for good measure. While she was confident that her friends would not use her "relationship" with Hibari for gossip material, she could now rest assured that they would not reveal her "meeting" by accident. The risk of her secret being revealed will be raised in accordance to the amount of people who know about it._

That was how Yuu found herself on the rooftop. It was usually deserted now after the story of how Tsuna and his friends nearly got bitten to death by Hibari got around, though recently, Yuu had begun to hear that the story had been altered so that she had been the reason behind Hibari jealousy. Hence, it was unlikely she would meet anyone here... A sudden movement from behind the water tank broke her out of her reverie. Picking her bento up, she cautiously headed towards that direction. There would only be one person who would be here at this time of the day, only one person with that black mop of hair so inky.

Yuu all but tiptoed towards Hibari. To be honest, she was unsure of his reaction to her. She had skipped his lesson and had been the cause of the widespread of the rumour of them dating. Maybe this was not such a good idea...

As the girl swivelled, changing her direction, a low gravel voice, husky with sleep, stopped her.

"Herbivore, what are you doing?"

Yuu froze, startled. Gathering the scraps of her courage, she turned to face him.

"Hibari-sensei."

A curt nod followed her greeting. The male merely lazily cracked an eye open to stare at her before drifting back to slumberland. Yuu remained frozen, uncertain of which actions she should take. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she inched closer to him before settling into a cross-legged position.

Somehow, this situation made her feel closer to Hibari. The tangible sense of fear that hung in every classroom, every hallway she passed had been terrible. The cold stares, the trembling voice of her schoolmates had been hurtful. It was no wonder Hibari became the cold person he was now. Just imagining having to face this situation was enough to make Yuu shudder. Then again, Hibari probably enjoyed it. She would have been blind to miss the gleeful way his eyes lit up when he sparred. Unbeknownst to Yuu, a tiny smile tugged at her lips. Until, Hibari decided to give his opinion of her at that moment.

"Herbivore, I would appreciate it if you stopped ogling and smiling at me like someone deranged."

Yuu immediately snapped out of her daze. She needed to get her thinking straightened out. It was dangerous letting her mind wonder around Hibari. The blonde chanced a glance at Hibari. He was wide awake now, his arms neatly tucked beneath his head as his eyes stared at the sky above.

The blonde surveyed her surroundings awkwardly; a silence had formed between the two. Yuu fidgeted nervously when her eyes landed on her bento in her hands.

"Hibari-sensei, would you like to share my bento with me?"

A raised eyebrow was the only reply she received. Taking that as a no, she snapped her pair of disposable chopsticks and began tucking in. Then a hand reached over to pick a sushi. Yuu frowned before holding out her own chopsticks to Hibari.

"Hibari-sensei, I highly doubt that you're hands are clean at this point of time."

A scoff was his reply.

* * *

**My thousand apologies for updating so terribly late. I will be having a major national exam on November so the past few months have been spent studying. I know this chapter is far from perfect (I rushed it out in the middle of a really boring lecture). I hope you guys forgive me and my tardiness. Thank yous to novellanite12, novellanite12, Raven T, KhAel, Aizushiroyuki, Chocolate Ribbons, Forever27 for reviewing. If i had not replied to any of you yet, drop a comment on the review box or pm me. Exams tend to make me forgetful. I probably won't be updating ever again until November so I apologise in advance. Please comment and review :) **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Empathy : Part 2

Disclaimer : I do not own KHR

* * *

Hibari leaned against the brick way, eyeing the students trickling in the gates of Namimori. Those that dared glance his way immediately shuffled away. He knew how menacing he appeared now. Yet, the fear that usually pleased him did nothing to lighten his mood. How dare that herbivore stand him up like that? The prefect frowned, his fingers wrapping tightly around his tonfas. That pathetic note she had scribbled definitely did not serve as an excuse. His jaw clenched in barely contained fury as his hand slipped into his pocket to brush against that scrap of paper. Leaving his lesson just to meet that boxing-obsessed herbivore did not sit well with him. She was lucky he was currently pre-occupied with his prefectorial obligations to deal with her. Resisting the urge to crush the crumpled paper in his hand once again, he drew out his handphone instead. His eyes lazily flicked down to the time on the screen before he straightened. Granted it was a few minutes earlier than usual, but it was close enough. Tugging the rusted gates of Namimori close, he frowned as that brown-haired herbivore, Tsuna, appeared in the distance. He had not wanted any latecomers today. A certain herbivore was practically begging for his attention, after all. Glaring fiercely at Tsuna, he made a split second decision. Harshly pulling the gates shut, he turned to head into Namimori. Locking that herbivore out of school would have to do for now. He had a more pressing matter at hand.

His eyebrows furrowed as he neared the usual hideout for the boxing club. A crowd had formed, the buzz of whispers gradually escalating. What had that herbivore done now? Treading silently so as to avoid any undesired attention, he moved towards the crowd. "I can't believe Hibari-San is dating." "Who is she?" Hibari lifted an eyebrow. Ah... It seemed that herbivore had just given the rumor mill a great chance to flourish and bloom. He'll allow the herbivore some liberties for now. Turning, he headed back, pushing away the various herbivores that were in his way with his tonfa. The Hibird-look-a-like was going to find herself in a situation soon. He knew her well enough for that. She would not be able to accept the solidarity that was so familiar to him. Unlike him, she was not a carnivore.

* * *

A knock on the door brought him his much-needed relief from the boredom that was paperwork.

"Come in."

There was no need for him to look up to realize who came in. Languidly stretching to ease the desk-bound-induced soreness in his muscles, he yawned.

"Hibari-San. It seems that there is some sort of rumor circulating about... you."

Hibari slowly looked up. His vice-head was obviously flustered, a sheen of sweat in his forehead. Even his ridiculous hairstyle appeared slightly flattened, something Kysakabe would have never allowed if he had been in the right state of mind.

"Is that all?"

Metallic blue eyes left the vice-head to land on his paperwork. He needed to come up with an excuse as to how the student he had bitten to death the day before was in the hospital. The police of Namimori could be easily convinced to hush the incident up. The international police force was much more troublesome to deal with. Hibari frowned. He had already learnt that the International police force were potentially a threat in his 1st year. As much as he would have liked to bite them all too death, he was (sadly) bounded by laws.

"Hi...Hibari-San... Is there anything you'd like to instruct us with?"

Said prefect furrowed his brows. Straightening up, he glared at Kusakabe.

"No. Leave me."

Kusakabe nodded nervously, rushing to leave the room. Of course! Hibari-San would definitely rather see such matters himself. The vice-head nodded once more, though less nervously (since he was no longer in his beloved prefect's presence); more resolutely. Hibari-San would be able to inflict a more fitting punishment than the whole disciplinary committee together. Inside the room, Hibari sighed. The fact that Kusakabe had learnt of the aforementioned rumor was enough of an indication as to how far the rumor had spread. Leaning back into his chair, he closed his eyes. That herbivore must be suffering._ She_ would not enjoy this kind of ...

_"He is the most respected person in Namimori."_

The prefect frowned. _She_ had said that to his mother. A bitter smile curled his lips. How was _she_ enjoying this respect now?

Stalking into the hallway, Hibari scanned the empty corridors. His jaw clenched with the lack of potential victims. Then the corners of lips slowly curled up in the very epitome of bloodcurdling. It was lunchtime soon. Already he could hear the teachers bidding their farewells. Hibari leaned against the lockers, his tonfas already in his palms. In five minutes or so, the first trickle of students entered the hallway appeared, their faces lit up with the prospect of a break from their classes... That was until they spotted the feared prefect. Instantly, all froze. Hibari smirked. His ability to evoke fear was one he greatly enjoyed exploiting. Letting his eyes swiftly scan through the crowd. He sneered. A pause. Then, self-preservation kicked in and the crowd began rushing away from him, en masse. The prefect merely followed them calmly. He was in no rush. In fact, he sorely needed this and thus, wanted to prolong it.

The rush of fighting would clear his mind from her. That herbivore. He could not stand it, the stifling weight on his chest that made it difficult to breathe, similar to how one felt after being dealt with a particularly strong blow, the constricting feeling was driving him mad. The more romantic might consider this emotion as love but he knew better. This was not love. Not concern either... The prefect frowned. This was why he needed an outlet for his ire. Bloodlust would draw his attention away from foreign emotions that he had no wish to be acquainted with.

Following one of his prey, the door of a classroom soon came into view. The carnivore smirked. It appeared his prey assumed he would have certain reservations about biting someone to death in a classroom with others as witness. He was going to be sorely disappointed. A glance in the classroom, however, made him pause. The herbivore was there. Hibari glanced around him. The whirlwind of emotions had caused him to be negligent of his was outside of her class. Metallic blue eyes wandered over the stricken cerulean eyes of that herbivore. Her face was drained of their usual pinkish tinge, her mouth pressed into a hard line. Despair, shock... She was on the edge of the cliff. A slight push and she would fall.

The prefect turned away. His prey would be free for now. He was responsible for that herbivore's plight. As distasteful as it was, he owed her. This would be his silent way of repaying her. Owing someone a favor was not something the carnivore in him approved of. He would stay low for now.

* * *

The sky was clear, with not a trace of cloud in view. Hibari stretched and closed his eyes. Once again, he was reminded of how much he enjoyed staying on the roof. Then, a click from the door to the roof reached his ears. Hibari stiffened before turning to look at Hibird beside him. The bird was silent cocking it's tiny head to a side as though studying its master. The herbivore then. Hibird would have been tittering his name if anyone unfamiliar had came this close to him. Hibari closed his eyes. The herbivore was going to notice him soon. He had no doubt of that. He was going to get as much rest as he could before she did. Shuffling footsteps neared him and he frowned slightly. Had her lessons with him done nothing to her stealth ? Or rather, the lack thereof of stealth. Silence. She had paused. Hibari resisted cranking an eye open. He wanted rest now. The shuffling began once more and Hibari frowned. She was moving away.

"Herbivore, what are you doing?"

Silence. Hibari smirked internally. She had obviously thought he was asleep.

"Hibari-sensei."

Her voice was level, betraying none of the experience he knew she had just faced. Hibari cracked an eye open, surveying her. Her appearance hardly revealed her whirlwind of emotions. Yet, there was that imperceptible tremor in her jaw, eyes that were too bright. The skylark closed his eyes. That stifling feeling had begun to settle in once more. The rustling of fabric made him glance at the herbivore under hooded eyes. She had settled down on the floor beside him. Hibari frowned. When was she going to leave? Slowly, a gentle smile graced her lips. The prefect studied the girl.

"Herbivore, I would appreciate it if you stopped ogling and smiling at me like someone deranged."

A drawl escaped his lips and he frowned at himself. The herbivore flinched as though slapped as her eyes regained its focus. Hibari opened his eyes. It appeared he would not receive his much needed rest. No retort met his remark and he settled for staring at the sky.

"Hibari-sensei, would you like to share my bento with me?"

The skylark raised his eyebrows. What was she up to now? A snapping sound drew his attention and he watched as she snapped her pair of disposable chopsticks. On instincts, he reached over grabbing a sushi before returning his gaze to the herbivore to gauge her reaction. The tremor was gone and her eyes had lost some of it's unnatural, feverish brightness.

A frown.

"Hibari-sensei, I highly doubt that your hands are clean at this point of time."

A scoff was his reply.

* * *

**A very short chapter. I apologise for that. This is the result of writing with a severe case of jet lag. For those who wish to escape the boredom of reading about my lifestory may skip this section. For those who demand an explantation, read on. **

**So yes, I had a major exam and right after that major exam, on that very day (in fact just an hour after it was over) I had to rush to the airport to fly to NZ. A lovely place with loads of sheeps and cattle :) I've only returned now and after being cramped in a tiny seat for over 12 hours am currently rushing this out. **

**You have my promise that this chapter will be edited tomorrow for more satisfactory results. **

**Thank You :)**

**Oh and thank yous to Love Muffin Of Doom, KhAeL, xXBloodyIllusionXx, TheFeyRa, Raven T, tuwas1, MikaUchiha666 and novellanite12 for reviewing. **

**Please review :) **

**P.s. I really enjoyed our conversations, Love Muffin Of Doom :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 : A Farewell **

**Disclaimer : I do not own KHR**

* * *

Yuu stared put of the window, sighing as she watched the honey brown leaves flutter to the ground. She had initially hoped that the rumor would have died a natural death over the following weeks. Yet nothing had changed. In fact, the teachers seemed more fearful of her. Even the slightest of glances in their directions frightened them as they clutched their heaving chest muttering incoherent apologies.

Hence, it was perhaps in their interest, that she finally gave up on it, choosing instead to focus her attention somewhere else while trying her best to look mild and harmless - something she had always taken for granted in the past. That way, at least no one would end up like poor Kasuchi-sensei who had a violent heart attack after Yuu had directed, as witnesses later claimed, a fierce glare in the hapless man's directions. Carefully ensuring that her brows were not furrowed, she returned to her book. Without the guidance of a mathematics teacher, it was almost inevitable that she would do badly in it. Spending most of her lessons trying to figure out the complexing mathematical concepts were also to no avail and, as she had quickly learnt, the smallest crease between her brow due to confusion was often mistaken as annoyance or anger. Perhaps she could ask Gokudera for guidance in this particular area... As much as she detested bothering someone with her problems, any further slide in her mathematics marks would cause Hibari a significant amount of vexation. Lifting her head, she swiftly directed her gaze to Gokudera, hoping that no one else would notice her gaze.

It was only after her stare had been safely directed onto Gokudera did she realise that something was wrong. Though Gokudera had tried to maintain his constant unfrazzled look of contempt, there was a slight tightening around his mouth and his eyes were darting furiously across the classroom. 'Searching for possible escape route...', Yuu mused before freezing. If even Gokudera was bothered enough to consider flighting, it meant only one possibility...

Her eyes sent a cursory swipe across the room before landing on the figure in the doorway._ He _stood there, arms crossed, a frown on his face. Yuu gulped. Hibari would not disturb a class unless he was truly irritated. Metallic blue eyes surveyed the room with the calm confidence of a predator in the presence of a prey with no escape route. Then, they landed on her. Marching swiftly up to Yuu, he grabbed her wrist and promptly began dragging her out of class. Yuu struggled after him, trying her best to mimick his blatant disregard of the horrified faces of teacher and students alike. Practically running to keep up with Hibari's long strides, she cast a swift glance aroud her, her mind easily summoning the image of the school map.

"Hibari-sensei, where are we heading? "

Silence save for the rapid tapping of their footsteps greeted her. Yuu frowned. According to the map she was given on the first day of school, they were heading towards the gates. The very object of her thought loomed in front of her. She was vaguely aware of Hibari releasing her from his vice-like grip as he wandered off to a shady corner towards the left.

They were leaving the school? Possibilities swam in her mind and she closed her eyes. The fact that Hibari was the one that dragged her out eliminated a few leaving her with only two possible explainations for such a scenario. Yet, the fact that Tsuna and the others were still in class swiftly crossed out the inkling that a Vongola house meeting was behind this. Unless... Yuu frowned. Surely Reborn could not be thinking of bringing Hibari and her together to train outside school? While her friends has kept mum about most of the Vongola business, Yuu knew that something big was coming up. A test of sorts, perhaps?

The other possibility was one that she vastly preferred. Hibari's parents might have presurred Hibari into dragging her out. If so, Yuu had no doubt that it was Hibari's father and not Mama. There was a slight scowl of Hibari's face after all, hinting that he had perhaps been tasked with something unpleasant -

A mechanical growl tugged her attention back to where Hibari had vanished. Gasping, she watched as Hibari reappeared on a motorcycle. Only her reflexes after training with Hibari allowed her to catch the helmet he callously threw at her.

"Herbivore, get on."

Was he even old enough to drive? Yuu surveyed the easy way his hands gripped the handles of the motorcycle. He was obviously no beginner.

"Hibari-sensei, why do you have a - "

Said male had narrowed his eyes at her. Instinctively, her body stiffened as she trailed off before clamouring to do as she was told. Rule #1 of survival 101 in Namimori : Never ignore Hibari when he was irritated, was very well ingrained into her.

* * *

Perching awkwardly on the motorcycle, she settled for clinging to the back of the seat to prevent herself from falling off. Despite her years of gymnastics, this ride was practically impossible. The slight slant of the seat caused her to fall unceremoniously onto Hibari an embarrasing number of times - an action the prefect thankfully ignored. Yet each time she leaned away from him, the threat to fall over the vehicle grew to an inevitable fact.

The helmet, most likely Hibari's, considering his helmet-less state, was much to big for her, settling over her eyes. Despite her compromised vision and the continual strive for balance, she still found herself drawn to studying the skylark in front of her. It was simply too rare a chance to miss. Raising her head so she could see through the tiny slit between the helmet and her nose, she found herself staring at Hibari's yellow comrade. The tiny bird/thing must flew onto Hibari's head sometime during the ride. Smiling hesitantly at it, she was relieved when it fluttered down to nuzzle her cheek before returning to its nest also known as Hibari's hair.

A sudden stop threw her onto Hibari's back yet again and she grimanced as her eyes noted his shoulders stiffening. Muttering an apology at the contact, she watched as his shoulders gradually relaxed after she eliminated the contact between them. A pool of liquid lead formed at the pit of her stomach; an uncomfortable sensation that weighed her down.

_How strange. _

Yuu furrowed her brows. She had always known and acknowledged that Hibari was a loner. Yet, here she was with the bitter taste of ... rejection. An unexplainable urge to laugh at the ridiculousness at the realisation of the emotion that plagued her bubbled and she would have if not for her instincts that warned her of more pain if she did. Hence, she settled for tearing her gaze away from _him._ He did intrigue her and this was an opportunity that she might never have again. Yet, she was beginning to realise that her emotions were starting to get involved and that was enough for her to want to take a break from this intense and enigmatic male. For now. Yuu grinned. She was quite determined to satify her curiousity.

Glancing around her, her grin quickly vanished, replaced by a quizzical frown. Namimori was a small town and she had made a point of familiarising its roads. Yet, the road they were on was unfamiliar. In the distance, Yuu's heart skipped a beat as she recognised something familiar.

"Hibari-sensei, is that the airport?"

* * *

"Yuu-chan!"

Hibari watched as his mother grabbed the herbivore upon sight, hugging her tightly.

"Mama? Why are you here?"

A bewildered look flashed across the herbivore's face before her eyes widened. Hibari sighed.

"You're leaving?"

Noding slightly as the herbivore's horrified gaze raked over him, he watched as she stiffened, the shock of the news hitting her at full blast.

"But - "

"Yuu-chan! Promise you'll write..."

His mother was bawling again. Casting an annoyed look at his father, he was not surprised to see him running towards his mother patting her on the back. Hibari resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His parents might be able to fight like carnivores but they still were herbivores inside.

"Kyou! This is all your fault!"

The shrill cry tore him out of his detached observation and he grimanced slightly as his mother marched over.

"Why can't you marry Yuu-chan? Why ? You'll make such a great couple and... and you could go on a honeymoon to Paris with us..."

The carnivore rolled his eyes, blocking out his mother's deluded words with practised ease. Turning his attention away, he glanced at the herbivore. Though there was no tears on her face, her hands shook and there was a gleam in her eyes that could only be the result of tears. Hibari forced a sneer onto his lips. She was pathetic. Crying over such a thing. His parents were simply this way. Here one day , gone the next. She would do well to learn that.

Then, the herbivore raised her eyes at him. A smile tugged at her lips and her eyes shone with affection. Hibari froze until the realisation that she was looking at his parents rather than him forced him to regain his calm. Frowning furiously, he looked away. He had enough of this revolting display of herbivore emotion. Catching his father's eye. he motioned towards his watch. His father nodded and began tugging gently at his mother.

Hibari sighed. He had once looked up to his father. Gradually as he grew up, he had begun to realise that his father was every bit a herbivore as his mother. Looking up, he was surprised to see that his father was approaching him now that his mother was busy crying to that herbivore.

"Kyouya."

Hibari raised an eyebrow, silently giving him the permission to continue.

"Sometimes, it is best to understand that not all strength is physical."

Petting his son on his back, the older male turned to leave before pausing. Smiling at Hibari, he mock-whispered: " Kyouya, don't presume to think I know nothing about you and that girl. But, trust me, one day, your lie might just become a reality.I hope you can make the right choice by then."

* * *

As his parents disapeared into the departure hall, he grabbed the herbivore by her collar, dragging her back to his motorcycle. Lunchtime was about to begin and he needed to ensure that his disciplinary committee were doing their job. Feeling the herbivore stumble, he opted to grip her elbow instead. Just for today would be allow her to be in full herbivore weakness.

Reaching his motorcycle, he thrust the helmet into her hands. With a roar, the engine came to life and he hopped on... only to realise that the herbivore was still standing dumbly at the pavement. Sighing, Hibari counted to ten to calm his rising ire. He reached her in three strides. Grabbing the helmet out of her hand harshly, he tugged it onto her head, frowning as it settled over her eyes. Her head was too small... In fact everything about her looked tiny, from her small head to her short stature. His frown deepened. She looked more herbivore-like than ever. Yet, summoning distaste for her was harder than before. Hibari growled, dragging her onto the motorcycle. She would just have to deal with it.

With a start. he realised that he had nowhere to place her hands. To hell with it! With an inaudible curse, he wrapped her arms around his midsection. Just for today would he allow her such liberties.

* * *

Somewhere in the muddiness of Yuu's mind, she dimly registered that Hibari's actions were supposed to be shocking. Yet, her mind was too absorbed in the loss of the new parent figures that came into her life for it to strike home. Wrapping her arms more tightly around the comforting warmth, she snuggled closer despite the slight disgust she felt at her current needy state. Right now, her sole intent was to bury her nose in Hibari's jacket, breathing in the faint scent of Mama's flowery perfume underneath Hibari's unique scent. Yuu squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying her best not to cry.

The loud purr of the engine gradually decreased to a sigh before stopping. Yuu cracked open her eyes before the realisation that her arms were still around Hibari's waist caused her to untangle herself from him in a hurry. Stepping off the motorcycle, she tugged off the helmet, placing it in his upturned hands.

"Thank you, Hibari-sensei."

Hibari stiffened and Yuu swallowed nervously. Muttering an apology, she bowed, mentally kicking herself.

"I'll better get back to class..."

Yuu turned, intent on fleeing. She had been enough of a liabity to Hibari today.

"Herbivore..."

Yuu paused in mid-flight.

"There's no need for you to pretend with me anymore. Dispose of the rumor as you see fit."

* * *

**I hope Hibari was not too OOC in this fic. Now that he has become slightly accustomed to Yuu the romancy part is sneaking in. PM me if you have any objection to the way Hibari acted! Hibari's parents have left in this chapter :( Would oyou like them to reappear again ? Please leave a comment to voice your opinion!**

**Oh and now for some shameless self-promotion. I've written a new fic called Ghost of a Memory. It features Zuko from Avatar: The Legend of Aang. So, if anyone has watched that show please read it. I've only updated one chapter so far and its really really short. I might end it as a oneshot. Read and tell me if you would like me to continue. **

**I really appreciated all the reviews you gave me, SilverNeira and Raven T. Thank you so much. Oh and KhAel for reviewing my Ghost of A Memory. I'm glad you like it :) **

**For those who reviewed recently, please tell me if you recieved my replies to your reviews. There was a problem lately when I tried reviewing and I'm not sure whether my replies were sent. **

**I've updated my profile too :) If there's any details you'll like me to put up there please PM me. **

**Please read and review;) Thank You. **


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